A final decision on the 760-home Foundry Lea development in Bridport could now be several months away.

Dorset councillors were surprised when, what was expected to have been the final meeting about the project, was deferred last week.

At the time, the Area Planning Committee chairman said this was due to "technical reasons" with little other explanation.

It has now been revealed that the Environment Agency still have queries about some aspects of the proposed housing development at Vearse Farm, which they want resolved before the reserved matters (final details) of the scheme can be signed off.

Said a Dorset Council spokesman: "The Environment Agency has requested more information in respect of the current compliance with conditions application for the site now known as land at Foundry Lea, which may impact on the reserved matters application.

"It was deemed appropriate to have that information available before the committee considered the report for the reserved matters application, which we hope will now happen in the coming months."

Work on the project over recent months has included some redesign on the way surface water from the site will be managed, with plans in place for a one in a 100 year flood event.

The final sign-off of the development had been expected to take place subject to an agreement on proposed changes to the size and position of three drainage ponds on the site, an integral part of the surface water management scheme.

In essence, the ponds act as holding areas to control any rapid rise in water levels across the site.

It had been requested that one pond should be reduced in size, another moved further to the north and the third re-shaped into a more linear design.

The general appearance, landscaping, layout and scale of the development was approved when the planning committee met in August 2022 but that agreement has been held by the council planning team while negotiations have continued over the fine details of various aspects of the development.

The proposals for the 43 hectare site, off the A35, have been controversial with several changes made during the consultation process to the layout of the site, house types, materials and landscaping.

Barratt David Wilson Homes (Exeter) Ltd and the Vistry Partnerships say that of the overall total of 760 properties, 302 homes will now be classed as 'affordable', 36 above the minimum level initially agreed between the council and the developers. These additional homes will be funded by Homes England.

Seventy per cent of the affordable housing will be for rent (186) and 30% share ownership (80) with 5% of the rented units classed as 'accessible and adaptable'.