Exploring Dorset's Local Plans: The Inspector Calls (West Dorset, Weymouth and Portland Local Plans).

Today I attended the three-hour exploratory meeting about these local plans.

Dorset Echo Report

It cannot be an agreeable experience to have a strategic plan subjected to public and external scrutiny and inspection, especially after so much hard work has gone into its development.

It cannot be easy to balance the interests and needs (present and future) of different stakeholders, landowners, developers, the unemployed, the under-employed, the retired, part-time workers and young job-seekers, the NIMBYs and environmentalists, the immigrants and emigrants (international and internal).

Is it better to be cautious or over-optimistic in assessing the country's or the county's rate of economic recovery? How can a planner be sure that the numbers and data are reliable, that the evidence is robust, comprehensive and up-to-date?

How about the soundness and objectivity of the assessment, or judgement, of economic and social trends, levels of household debt and the sustainability of planned developments in the longer term? What about changes in the housing market?

It sounds very scientific, a "Strategic Housing Market Assessment". Can one claim to promote economic growth without prioritising working-age households and affordable housing, employment opportunities and good transport facilities?

Is it better to be realistic and pragmatic? I don't know, but it's certainly a good idea to be transparent and democratic. An important meeting in these respects, whatever the outcome of this complicated iterative planning process. I was glad to be able to participate, and to be exposed to all these pressing issues.

Update: This question concerning affordable housing at the Charles Street development (Phase 2) was also raised at the meeting.

Dorset workers struggle to earn living wage (Update)