The Sherborne Society Group

Dorset CPRE, The Little Keep, Bridport Road, Dorchester, DT1 1SQ.
Tel: 01305 265808 Registered Charity No. 211974. 2013 © Dorset CPRE

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DORSET CPRE

The Sherborne and District Society Group
Group Chairman: Mr Peter Neal Tel: 01935 814801
Email: peter.neal2@hotmail.co.uk

Dickie Bird (President)
Peter Neal (Membership Secretary)
David Gould (Secretary)
John West (Treasurer)
Innes Davis,Graham Cochrane, Paul Austin, Sarah Headlam and Kate Pike (Sherborne Town Council Representative)

Click here for more details Events.

The past few months have been very active ones for the Society with major planning issues in Sherborne having to be addressed. A few months ago the outline planning application to build up to 286 houses at Barton Farm was considered by the West Dorset District Council (WDDC) Development Control Committee. Whilst we were not able to successful oppose the application we were able to help achieve certain conditions associated with the eventual permissions to build. A key issue will be the actual design of the site and the buildings on it and to this end I have been in communication with the Managing Director of Persimmon (South West) and he has assured me that discussion will take place with the Town Council and possibly us, so that local concerns can be addressed.

The Draft Local Plan was put out to consultation in the early autumn and of course caused much concern locally.

Together with other members of the committee, Peter Neal met, on several occasions, Oliver Letwin MP, Councillors and senior planners from WDDC and the Sherborne Town Council. Arising from these discussions and as a result of the huge number of written objections from the area the plan has been revised and does not include any extra housing for Barton Farm, other than that for which planning permission has already been granted. The consultation on the revised plan has now been completed and the final version will go before the full West Dorset District Council in May.

Barton Farm application 2012
Plans to build up to 800 homes at Barton Farm in Sherborne Dorset would destroy the appearance of the surrounding historical town, according to local residents and the town council. West Dorset District Council's plans for Barton Farm in Sherborne, have been on display in the town. The public commented on these plans until 27 July. On Thursday 13th September 2012 more than 200 people attended the three-hour district council planning meeting at the Digby Hall with up to 20 public speakers objected to the development. The plans were approved, however, planning permission for the development remains subject to a series of conditions which are currently under negotiation.

Tesco Superstore
Just before Christmas we were all taken by surprise by the announcement that Tesco had taken an option on the Sherborne Hotel and the land it is accommodated on, with the intention of building a superstore there. We hope you will all agree this will be a major disaster for the area. Firstly we will lose a very well used hotel (85-90% bedroom occupancy) and thousands of tourists a year that it serves. Secondly, it is on a gateway site to the Town and could create severe traffic problems. Thirdly it is bound to take business away from the Town centre and villages which will have an adverse effect on those businesses, many of which are small independents. Fourthly it could send parents and visitors to the independent schools elsewhere, adversely affecting local traders. Peter Neal have been very active with others in the area in seeking how
we can oppose this proposal and is chairing ‘The Keep Sherborne Viable’ Group made up of representatives of the many interested parties. We have been hugely successful in the amount of publicity achieved for the campaign to keep the site free of a superstore.

The action day in late February was covered by ITV West Country News, and there have been several articles published in the Daily Telegraph, the Times and the Daily Mail. In fact many are saying this is the most widely supported and publicised anti-supermarket building campaign to date. Nearly 11,000 people have signed the NothanksTesco petition and of the hundreds who attended the three Tesco exhibitions
less than 1 in 10 were in favour of the store being built. To date no formal planning application has been made and for updates on the position please go to http://www.nothankstesco.co.uk/.

If you would like to be more involved with what we do, or if you have suggestions on what you would like to see us do, then please have a word with Peter Neal, or any member of the Committee.

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Please ask the Secretary of State, Eric Pickles, to keep the Green Belt green and make sure we use brownfield sites for new development instead. sites for new development instead.

Our Autumn Review magazine features updates from our District Group and news on current campaigns.