Have your say as consultation opens on Bridport and Symondsbury Neighbourhood Plan

Bridport Town Council and Symondsbury Parish Council have been reviewing their neighbourhood plan, originally made in May 2020, and have now submitted an updated version for formal examination.

Back in 2019, Bridport Town Council and their neighbouring parishes worked together to produce the Bridport Area Neighbourhood Plan - a shared vision for how the local area should grow and develop. The Plan helps guide where new homes and businesses should be located, what they should look like, and how important green spaces can be protected.

Nearly six years years on, the Plan is being reviewed to ensure it continues to reflect the priorities and aspirations of local people. The updated Bridport Area Neighbourhood Plan has now been completed by local volunteers and endorsed by the Joint Councils Committee (JCC), who believe the revised document represents the community’s hopes for the future.

A Neighbourhood Plan aims to give residents more control over their local area, when plans for new homes, shops and offices in their town or village are considered. It is used to inform decisions on planning applications in consultation with the National Planning Policy Framework and the adopted Local Plan.

Once the independent examination is complete, the revised Neighbourhood Plan will sit alongside the adopted Local Plan as part of the statutory development plan for the area, guiding decisions on planning applications.

Dorset Council is now required to consult on the plan review before the examination can take place.

People who live, work or run a business within the Bridport and Symondsbury area are invited to comment on the proposals.

Anyone wishing to raise concerns or make representations has until Monday 13 July 2026 to do so. The plan and any comments received to the consultation will then be passed on to an independent examiner to consider.

Cllr Shane Bartlett, Dorset Council’s Cabinet Member for Planning, said “It takes a tremendous amount of work to create a Neighbourhood Plan. It takes even more commitment to review a neighbourhood plan once the first one is adopted. I congratulate all involved for their ongoing hard work.

“Neighbourhood Plans aim to give residents more say in the future use of land and buildings in their area. For example, the plan can say where new homes, shops or offices might be built, or where important green spaces might be protected. Neighbourhood plans, like all planning documents, benefit from being reviewed from time to time to ensure they are still relevant and continue to meet local needs.

I encourage anyone with an interest in the future development of Bridport and Symondsbury, to view the proposed changes to the neighbourhood plan and submit any feedback they may have.”

The plan can be viewed online. A hard copy of the updated Neighbourhood Plan will also be available for public inspection at Bridport Library, Bridport Town Council Offices at Mountfield, and the Dorset Council Offices in Dorchester during their usual opening hours.

Comments on the plan can be submitted through our online form, by email, or by post to Spatial Planning, Dorset Council, County Hall, Colliton Park, Dorchester, DT1 1XJ.

Anyone commenting on the plan should let the council know if they wish to be kept informed of the progress of the Bridport Area Neighbourhood Plan.