Housing scheme near historical Wolfeton manor rejected

A developer has failed in a renewed attempt to build dozens of homes near a "nationally important" manor house.

Land Value Alliances applied to erect up to 80 properties on farmland close to Wolfeton House at Charminster near Dorchester.

Historic England said the "isolated, rural character" of the Grade l listed building would be harmed.

Refusing the scheme, Dorset Council said the damage was "less than substantial" but still unacceptable.

Wolfeton House is a medieval and Elizabethan manor house which featured in Thomas Hardy's writing.

Historic England said it was "one of the finest houses in Dorset, and a heritage asset of the very highest significance".

It said the property would be "irreversibly affected", the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

In 2019, the developer failed in an appeal against a refusal of permission to build 120 homes on the site at Westleaze.

It said its new outline application, initially for 89 homes but later reduced to 80, "minimised adverse impacts" on the landscape.

However Richard Thimbleby, whose family owns Wolfeton, said: "It is very disappointing that a further planning application has been made for Westleaze on this scale."

In a letter to Dorset Council, he added: "There is no significant material difference between this application, and the one that has been rejected at great time, cost and stress to everyone who stood to be affected."

Follow BBC South on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected].