A change to the way housing numbers are assessed for Dorset's next local plan could result in the rural county needing thousands fewer homes in the years ahead.

The claim was made during public questions to the council's Cabinet briefholder for planning, Cllr David Walsh.

Questioner Mike Allen claimed that if Dorset Council did not use a 2014 method of calculating housing need, as suggested by the government, it would not be allowing for rural Dorset to take up to 9,000 additional new homes to deal with supply shortages in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole.

"Using 2018 figures in the standard method would remove the need for those 9,000 BCP homes altogether and open the way for BCP to help Dorset instead," claimed Mr Allen.

He said the method was being adopted by the newly elected West Midlands Mayor to reduce the number of new homes which were needed.

He asked the meeting: "In view of these controversies, how confident is the council that adopting the 2014 standard method in the local plan, without question or modification, will lead to a sound plan that balances properly the local need for houses in the next decades against protection of Dorset's cherished countryside and green spaces?"

Said Cllr Walsh in response: "The council has consulted on a draft plan to help us understand everyone's views, and we are very grateful for the large number of responses that we have received.

"We have not yet made any decisions about the approach that will be taken in the final plan, and will take all the comments into account, alongside the requirements set out in national policy, to ensure a sound plan," he said.

The meeting heard that the full public response to Dorset Council's climate and ecological consultation and its local plan proposals will be made public – but not until July, months after both consultations closed.

Cllr Walsh says that council officers first need to read them all, remove any personal details and make sure there is no offensive material before they are made available.

The news came in response to a public question from Giles Watts on behalf of the Dorset Climate Action Network.

Cllr Walsh told the meeting that no firm decisions have yet been made about the final proposals for the next round of public consultation on the local plan which is expected to start later this year.