With the carrot dangling of getting more money from Dorset Council, a planning document is being produced by Swanage Town Council and, as part of the process, local residents are being invited to fill out a survey.
The Swanage Neighbourhood Plan is intended to set out the town’s vision and priorities for land use and development, and should be taken into account when Dorset Council considers planning applications and whether to grant planning permission or not.
Planning permission is being sought by developers to build homes on the Harrow House site
Views to help create draft Swanage Neighbourhood Plan
The Swanage Town Council neighbourhood plan sub committee, first set up in October 2022, is now at the early stage of asking for residents’ views on a number of issues including where in Swanage new commercial premises like supermarkets could be built, which new and existing green spaces should be protected from development, and where new affordable homes could be built.
This feedback will then form a draft Swanage Neighbourhood Plan which will then be consulted upon again. It will also be sent to Dorset Council for its views as the local planning authority, and to the government’s planning inspector to ensure it meets all legal requirements.
Eventually a final document will be produced which will be voted on by local residents. If passed, the neighbourhood plan will feed into the Dorset Council Local Plan, which itself is still in the process of being created, having been first proposed in January 2021.
In the meantime, the main planning document for the area is the Purbeck Local Plan which was finally adopted in July 2024, taking an astonishing nine years from start to finish.
New homes were recently built on the site of Swanage’s old grammar school
Expensive and lengthy legal process
It can be an expensive and lengthy legal process – the town council has employed two sets of consultants – the first, planning consultants ONH since October 2022, and more recently Dorset Coast Forum to deliver the public engagement process – and after nearly three years, the town council is still at an early stage of producing the draft neighbourhood plan.
However, the pay off once completed, is that the town council will receive a greater share of the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL), which is the fee that developers have to pay to Dorset Council to provide for local infrastructure to support their developments.
The CIL payment from Dorset Council increases from 15 percent for communities without a neighbourhood plan, to 25 percent for those with a neighbourhood plan.
The developer of the old Swanage grammar school site in Northbrook Road, Barratt David Wilson Homes paid around £1.85 million in CIL to Dorset Council to build 90 homes, so having a plan can bring in significantly more income to the town council coffers if there are future developments of a similar size in Swanage.
Town councillor Tina Foster (left) took over as chair of the Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group in May 2025, from Swanage town mayor Mike Bonfield (right)
“More control over planning in Swanage”
Swanage town councillor Tina Foster, who took over as chair of the Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group in May 2025 said:
“Since becoming a town councillor I have been keen for Swanage to have a stronger voice in planning matters and so welcome this chance to help shape the future of our town.
“There are benefits to having a neighbourhood plan as we will have more control over planning in Swanage and an extra 10 percent share of the Community Infrastructure Levy.”
Residents are being asked to come along to a drop in session to express their views on Swanage’s open spaces as well as other planning issues
Public drop in sessions
Drop in sessions have been organised where residents can ask questions and see maps of the areas under discussion in relation to planning matters.
- Thursday 25th September 2025: 3 pm to 7 pm at The Focus Centre, Chapel Lane
- Wednesday 1st October 2025: 10 am to 2 pm at All Saints Church Hall, Ulwell Road
- Wednesday 8th October 2025: 3 pm to 7 pm at Herston Village Hall, Jubilee Road
- Wednesday 15th October 2025: 10 am to 2 pm at Emmanuel Baptist Church, Victoria Avenue
Fill in the survey
The survey can be completed online but users need to register to leave their comments.
Alternatively, paper copies of the survey will be available at the drop in sessions, the Swanage Information Centre, and Swanage Town Hall.
Residents can also email dorset.coast@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk for a paper copy to be sent to them in the post.
Further information
- More about the Swanage Neighbourhood Plan and the online link to the survey
- Government guidance on the stages of creating a neighbourhood plan
