Dorset Local Plans – St Leonards and St Ives Parish Council

Dorset is Changing – and We Want Your Voice Heard

Welcome to our Dorset Plan page — your go-to place for clear information, parish council updates, and guidance on how you can get involved. Dorset Council is currently shaping two major plans that will guide how our area develops over the next 15 years. These plans matter because they affect everyday life in our parish — the homes available to families, the transport links we rely on, and the environment and green spaces we want to protect for future generations. The consultation runs until 13 October 2025, so now is the time to get involved. Together, we can make sure the voices of our residents are heard and that Dorset’s future reflects the needs of our community.

Consultation deadline: 13th October 2025

The Dorset Local Plan – Shaping Dorset’s Future

The Dorset Local Plan will set out where new homes, jobs, schools, and community spaces should go, and how we protect our countryside and natural environment. It’s about planning for the future of Dorset and making sure growth happens in the right places, with the right support for our communities.

You can get involved by reading the draft plan, sharing your views through the consultation survey, or attending local events where Dorset Council and the parish council will explain more and listen to your feedback. This is your chance to help shape how our area develops over the next 15 years — from housing and transport to green spaces and community facilities.

The Local Transport Plan – Moving Dorset Forward

The Local Transport Plan (LTP) will guide how we travel around Dorset over the next 15 years. It looks at everything from improving roads and public transport to making walking and cycling easier, safer, and more attractive. The plan also focuses on reducing congestion and pollution while ensuring our transport network keeps pace with new housing and jobs.

You can get involved by taking part in the consultation survey, joining local events and drop-ins, or sharing your ideas with the parish council. Your feedback will help shape a transport system that works for everyone — making travel more reliable, sustainable, and better connected across Dorset.

Parish Council Information:

View the parish council Local Plan 2025 Presentation
View the parish council Local Transport Plan 2025 Presentation
View the parish boundary map

Dorset Council Information:

Visit the Dorset Council Dorset is changing main page
View the Dorset Explorer map
View the Drop in events
E-mail your Representation to: planningpolicyconsult@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk
Write to: Spatial Planning Team, Dorset Council, County Hall, Colliton Park, Dorchester, Dorset DT1 1XJ
Alternatively, you can request a paper response form. Email planningpolicyconsult@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk or write to us
Contact your Member of Parliament

Introduction to the Dorset Local Plan & Local Transport Plan video

Making an Effective Representation Dorset Council have set out a number of options for potential development sites to deliver housing across Dorset that could be included within the new Dorset Local Plan.

The Local Plan is set to be examined by a Planning Inspector appointed by the Secretary of State in Spring 2027. One of the key matters the Inspector will consider is whether the Local Plan is ‘sound’. For a Local Plan to be found ‘sound’, it’s policies, including housing opportunity sites, need to be consistent with those policies within the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) 2024.

Whilst not essential, it is wise to make yourself familiar with the NPPF (2024). To give your representation (comments) maximum weight it is advisable to provide detailed evidence and observations to support what you write. Facts and figures, photos etc. Back up what you say. Then, if you can, identify the statement in the NPPF that further supports what you are saying. Remember: Identify – Evidence – NPPF paragraph. Below is a short list of some selected extracted sections of paragraphs of the NPPF that you may find useful to look up to support your submission.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-planning-policy-framework–2

National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) 2024

Para.77 – large numbers of new homes maybe acceptable provided they are ‘supported by the necessary infrastructure and facilities (including a genuine choice of transport options)’

Para. 98 c) guard against the unnecessary loss of valued facilities and services’

Para.88 d) the retention and development of accessible local services and communities facilities, such as local shops, meeting places, sports venues, open space,

Para.143 c) ‘safeguarding the countryside from encroachment’.

Para.187 a) protect and enhance valued landscapes..’

Para.187 b) ‘recognise the intrinsic character and beauty of the countryside..’

Para.192 – plans should look to ‘protect and enhance biodiversity’ Matters that are NOT Material Planning Considerations: Decrease in property values Loss of a private view Motives of a developer or landowner (i.e. to make money etc)