As part of the Dorset Local Plan process, Sherborne Castle Estates has prepared some initial ideas around how best to meet the future needs of our population: where we will live, work, learn, relax and be cared-for.
Land owned by Sherborne Castle Estates (the Estate) to the north-west and western edges of Sherborne has been identified as suitable for future development and the Estate is putting forward a vision for exemplar, organic growth over a 20-year timeframe.
This innovative approach would create a single masterplan for a collection of new neighbourhoods, connected to Sherborne town centre and inspired by the historic and cultural heritage of the community.
The initial concepts were first shared with the community early in 2021.
We now await Dorset Council’s draft Local Plan which, we understand, is being prepared in light of the new government’s announcements on housing delivery
Our Vision
Our vision is the creation of a masterplanned new neighbourhood in the west of Sherborne; new homes, workspaces and facilities which would support the vitality of Sherborne town centre and enhance the sustainability of the existing community.
This masterplanning approach will allow us to retain a high degree of control over the planning and development process, from design to delivery.
We want to provide a mix of housing, green open spaces and workplaces, together with the necessary infrastructure, in a beautifully designed evolution of Sherborne to meet the needs of local people.
We will work with Dorset Council to establish the best mix of suitable house types and tenures for both open market and affordable housing. We also understand that new homes create the need for new facilities and infrastructure which will be considered in the development of a masterplan.
Access to the area would be off the A30. To improve this gateway to Sherborne, we are proposing that the road, at this point, be reduced to single carriageway in each direction. This would enable the creation of a new pedestrian-friendly square combined with a roundabout – a “squareabout” – which would also serve to link the elements of the new neighbourhood on either side of the road.
Our ideas are at a very early stage. We are committed to working with the community should the proposals progress, and we would like to hear about what local people think.
The Context
Councils such as Dorset are required to have up-to-date Local Plans in place to help to ensure growth in new homes and workplaces is sustainable, regulated and appropriate to the needs of the community. Local Plans also aim to make sure the infrastructure, such as roads and schools, needed to support such growth is delivered as and when it is required. They also help councils and local communities resist less sustainable and more unwelcome speculative proposals.
Dorset Council is obliged to plan for both housing and employment space in the development of its new Local Plan.
The last Draft Local Plan was prepared by West Dorset District Council prior to the formation of the unitary countywide Dorset Council. It proposed allocating land for new homes on the west side of Sherborne.
Dorset Council says it is currently working on its new Local Plan to be adopted in May 2027. This is expected to take into account changes to national planning guidelines being introduced by the new government.
