‘FAR from the madding crowd’s ignoble strife, Their sober wishes never learn’d to stray; Along the cool sequester’d vale of life; They kept the noiseless tenor of their way.’ Thomas Gray.

The above elegy reminds us of a romantic vision of the countryside, which with the current Covid pandemic, now has a special resonance for many, fleeing from the troubles of crowded urban settlements.

With the first stage of the Dorset Local Plan now complete, perhaps is a good time to reflect on some of the fundamental tensions, which underlie this controversial process.

Dorset is blessed with a breath-taking landscape, which has inspired many to wax lyrical about its beauty.

But how do you define a landscape? Is it purely in aesthetic terms, or should it also be defined in terms of its economic value, its functionality, its use as an asset to facilitate production or as an area for people to live in?

Dorset is special but is not excluded from the Governments drive to ‘Build Build Build.’ Those who care for our beautiful county recognise the need for homes for local people, but how can this be achieved against the backdrop of an imbalanced planning system, which is playing catch-up with the need to build sustainably and favours the needs of the national developers?

Who will build the homes for local people? Should they be low cost, but still of decent quality? This brings the debate at this point to the first of several flashpoints.

In the absence of a significant increase in social housing, the driver for further local housing will still be the commercial aspirations of the major developers.

CPRE Dorset has led and will continue to lead, the debate on these issues in the months ahead, as the Dorset Local Plan continues its tortuous passage.

STEPHEN JOHN LARCOMBE

Beaminster