Town and parish councillors, together with more than 100 community volunteers, are celebrating the submission of the Bridport Area Neighbourhood Plan to the new Dorset Council.

The plan covers the communities of Allington, Bothenhampton & Walditch, Bradpole, Symondsbury, Bridport and West Bay and set out on the long road to formal submission in October 2014.

Extensive community consultation and lively local debate have all fed into the production of the final document.

The objectives, policies and projects set out in the neighbourhood plan seek to ensure that the Bridport area 'remains a place everyone can be proud of,' with an improved supply of affordable homes, better public facilities and employment opportunities.

The plan is strong on policies to safeguard and enhance the living world as well as stepping up to the challenge of reducing greenhouse gas emissions in line with the governments legal obligations.

Phyllida Culpin, chairman of the Community Steering Group, said: “The plan evolved as we learnt what local people wanted. We can’t do everything that has been asked for but we hope that the plan will have real influence over future development. Deep and heartfelt thanks to the many, many people who have given up weeks of their time to deliver this plan.”

Dorset Council now take over the process for examining the submission plan and taking the document through to a public referendum later in the year.

If 50 per cent of those voting approve the submission plan it will be officially ‘made’ and become part of the local development framework exerting real influence over local development in the Bridport Area over the next 20 years.

A joint councils committee comprised of representatives from Bridport Town Council and the neighbouring Parishes of Allington, Bothenhampton & Walditch, Bradpole and Symondsbury will continue to meet to monitor the impact of the neighbourhood plan and undertake periodic reviews.

The plan is available to view at bridport-tc.gov.uk/projects/neighbourhood-plan/