Dorchester Civic Society has called for the land north of the county town where 4,000 new homes are proposed, to be recognised as a Local Heritage Asset.

Papers requesting the listing were lodged with Dorset Council this week.

The idea is to give the site greater protection from development although it has been ear-marked by Dorset Council for the new homes.

The authority has continued to support the development despite widespread public opposition – including a recent rally in the county town and opposition from the town council and an established protest group.

Chairman of the Civic Society Ian Gosling says there are five reasons for listing much of the site as a Local Heritage Asset in the category of Historical Landscapes.

These include the fact that areas surrounding Dorchester have been shown to be rich in ancient earthworks, structures and buried artifacts; that the views of much of the land has been written about not only by Thomas Hardy but also by Daniel Defoe and John Gay and painted by artists including J M W Turner; that the water meadows which were created in the 17th century remain visible and are of historic and cultural significance; that the view towards the town from adjoining meadows and downland has essentially remained unchanged since the 18th century making Dorchester a rare surviving example of the county town in its rural setting, and that the area remains an important amenity area for residents and visitors including riverside walks.

The society says it has included a wider area than just the water meadows in the application for listing because it is impossible to dissociate the meadows from the adjoining downland – the two areas giving the whole landscape its significance.

"To do otherwise would be likely dropping a priceless Ming Vase, keeping a few fragments for display and throwing away the rest. No amount of explanatory notices can make up for the loss of the original complete work," said Mr Gosling.

In a separate move a public question to this week's full Dorset Council meeting asks when the viability of the 4,000 homes proposed for north of Dorchester will be put to the test.

Jane Ashdown will ask the council when it will follow the Garden Community guidelines and review the viability of the project.

Ms Ashdown says the Government's guidance on garden communities suggests that the scheme viability should be assessed at the plan-making stage and consideration should also be given to later testing at the master planning state.

"When will these tests of viability be undertaken and when will the findings from these viability tests be published and available for public consideration?" says the question to the Thursday evening meeting which will be held in County Hall.