THIRTEEN homes could be built on a village site near Dorchester – if Dorset Council planners agree.

An ‘in principle’ application has been lodged to demolish existing buildings on a site off the Main Road at Winterbourne Abbas, adjacent to the garage and shop and on the opposite site of the road close to the school.

Another large application is currently being considered for a site on the other side of the garage, to further west at Manor Farm, which could produce 32 homes. So far that application has only attracted one objection, which expresses concerns about flooding.

If both schemes were approved between them they would increase the number of homes in the village by almost one third.

The new application comes from Addis Homes with the process being managed by a Wareham agent. The proposal is open for public comment until December 1st with a decision expected to be taken by a Dorset Council planning officer, rather than by a committee of councillors.

The proposal is to demolish two existing detached homes and outbuildings at Conifers and Greenacres just off the main road on the north side. Between them the two plots could provide 3,000 square metres of building land.

The proposal say the new homes would be a mix of open market and affordable, meeting the local plan requirements for lower cost homes.

Of the nine  open market properties, five of would be 2-bed and four 3-bed. Three affordable 2-bed homes are also proposed with one 3-bed. All would be a mix of red brick and flint.

The application allows for 26 car parking spaces on the site, an increase of 22 over the existing.

A flood risk report submitted with the application says that only the south west corner of the site is at a higher risk of flooding, but that the new houses will be kept away from this area and a pavement provided which, in the event of a flood, would allow pedestrian access even if there were water on the road. It does not envisage that any flooding would cause problems for vehicle access.