Ed Morello – Transport & Infrastructure Committee
Below is a transcript of Ed Morello’s comments from a local transport/infrastructure committee meeting from his Facebook page: “In West Dorset the issue with planning development is not just how many homes we build, but where we build them, and whether they are built with the infrastructure that is needed to support them. As I […]
Parnham Park: questions and answers on the employment claims
Q: We keep hearing that the Parnham development will create “hundreds of jobs”. Is that true? The claim needs careful interpretation. Large job numbers in planning applications are rarely a count of permanent, full-time local jobs. They usually combine several different types of work into one headline figure, which can give a misleading impression. Q: […]
Our position on ‘engagement’ with Parnham Park
Dorset Natural Heritage Initiative is a group of local residents opposed to the proposed private housing development on the deer park and Millground meadow at Parnham Park. It has been suggested that we are not “engaging” with the developer. We want to be clear and open with other residents about our position. The planning application […]
How Parnham’s Past Informs Its Future
Why a local heritage specialist has objected to the proposed development. Parnham is more than a house set in parkland. According to a detailed objection submitted to Dorset Council by a local heritage specialist it is a landscape layered with history that stretches from the Iron Age through two World Wars. The objection focuses on […]
Putting The River Brit Back To Bed
Nestled in a bowl amongst the hills of West Dorset is the picturesque town of Beaminster with its listed stone cottages, bustling market square and thriving independent businesses. As you walk around it becomes evident that those hills channel water from countless streams and springs to feed the river that bubbles under and alongside many […]
Why residents are objecting to Parnham’s plans
With the strength of feeling displayed at last week’s planning meeting, and over 200 objections already lodged online, the reasons continue to mount as to why Parnham’s proposed 82-house gated development is the wrong plan in the wrong place. Reasons for objections include: – Parnham’s attempt to avoid the £2.74m Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) The […]
Beaminster Says NO
On Wednesday, 17 December Beaminster Town Council voted to refuse the Parnham application. There were 7 members of the Planning Committee present; the motion that they agreed to vote on was “to refuse the application”; on which 4 members voted in favour, 0 against, and 3 abstained. Not a single Committee member voted to support the […]
Protecting Beaminster’s Albino Badgers: BBC News
Update: the BBC ran a article on the albino badgers on 11 December 2025. It also appeared on BBC Spotlight News on 12 December.You can read the full article by Marcus White here – Parkland housing plan ‘threatens albino badgers’.This follows on from the blog post shared below. Millground Meadow between Beaminster and Netherbury isn’t […]
BBC: Designer homes plan published for fire-hit estate
Article published today on the BBC website by Marcus White – see the full article here. A designer housing estate with its own natural outdoor swimming pool and padel court could be built to fund repairs to a fire-hit stately home. Dorset Council has published a planning application for Grade I listed Parnham House, near […]
When Fairness Matters: Beaminster Town Council
When Fairness Matters: Why DNHI Is Calling for Beaminster Town Council to Put Things Right On Saturday 25 October, Dorset Natural Heritage Initiative (DNHI) volunteers set up a small information table in Beaminster town square. It was a simple and friendly community event. Our aim was to talk to residents about the proposed development at […]