A detailed planning application for the Vearse Farm Foundry Lea development has been submitted to Dorset Council.

Foundry Lea is being delivered by Barratt David Wilson Homes and Vistry Partnerships on the edge of Bridport near Symondsbury.

The site - delivered over three phases - will be made up of more than 20 hectares of residential land and more than 23 hectares of green, open space and other infrastructure and include 760 homes, play areas, allotments, an orchard, landscape planting, a senior football pitch and pedestrian and cycle links.

The housing will be made up of 28 one-bed flats, 19 two-bed flats, 191 two-bed houses, 297 three-bed houses, 219 four-bed houses and six five-bed homes.

The application proposes 35 per cent affordable housing, which equates to 266 homes, and the applicants propose to deliver an additional 36 affordable homes and six delivered by a community land trust.

Around 70 per cent of the affordable homes will be rented - 186 homes - and 30 per cent will be shared ownership - 80 homes - which will be distributed across the site in clusters. There will also be three areas of self-build land.

Within the development, the application states there will be a country park along the River Simene, woodland walks, green links and squares, a circular leisure route and a 'cycle street', which will link the development with the town centre.

There will be two play areas, a multi-use games areas and a woodland play trial, as well as allotments, an orchard and sports pitch with changing rooms and allocated parking.

Vehicle access to the site will be from two access points along West Road.

Two 'sustainable transport hubs' are proposed and these will include three public electric vehicle charging points, a bus stop, land for a community bike pool - bikes that can be shared - bike shelter and a bike maintenance hub with water fountain.

In terms of parking, the development will provide 1,554 allocated spaces for residents and 229 visitor car parking spaces.

During the construction phase of the development, it's intended to establish a 'Skills Academy' on the site to deliver and provide apprenticeships, employment, training and mentoring.

Homes will be built with a roof-mounted PV panel to offset 10 per cent of unregulated energy use and homes with an off-road parking space will have an electric charging point.

The development has been very controversial in the town as the site is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and the site is susceptible to flooding.

ADVEARSE, campaigners against the development, challenged Dorset Council's decision to grant outline planning permission in 2019 and a judicial review into the planning approval was held. A hearing took place but the group lost the judicial review and the land was put up for sale by Savills.

Bridport Town Council and Symondsbury Parish Council have set up a Vearse Farm Working Group to liaise with the developers.

To see the full application, visit planning.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk

Don't forget to sign up to our newsletter below!

You can submit your own news straight to Bridport Nub News by using the 'Nub It' button on our home page. This can also be done for events on our What's On page and businesses, groups and organisations on our Local Listings page , also by using the 'Nub It' button.

Please like and follow our online newspaper on your favourite social media channel. You can find us @BridportNubNews on Facebook and Twitter.