PREPARATORY planning work is stepping up a gear on the Dorchester North housing development.

Developers have asked Dorset Council to consider what should be included in an environmental report for the outline stages of the scheme, prior to a formal planning application later this year.

The requests, from Grainger PLC and Wyatt Homes, cover two sites – for land west of the A35 and east of the B3143 Slyers Lane and for the area around Cokers Frome.

Between them they could include over 4,000 homes as well as commercial and community developments, a cemetery and schools.

The proposals also contain a new east-west link road.

The Slyers Lane proposal outlines the demolition of existing buildings and the creation of up to 500 homes, with : "residential institutions; mixed-use neighbourhood centre including flexible employment, retail, leisure and community uses: Associated Infrastructure including new roads, drainage, footpaths and formal and informal open spaces, landscaping and public realm, cycle and vehicular parking & servicing, utilities and other associated works incidental to the proposed development."

A similar request is made for the larger site where up to 3,600 homes are being considered along with: "residential institutions; up to 5 hectares of employment zone comprising flexible employment uses; provision of mixed-use local and neighbourhood centres comprising up to 4 hectares of flexible retail, leisure, employment and community and health uses; learning and non-residential institutions including land for education uses (up to 12 hectares) including provision for early years, primary, secondary and SEN provision; Associated infrastructure including and east-west link road and streets, drainage, active travel and footpaths, public transport provision, formal and informal open spaces, landscaping and public realm; cemetery or burial ground, cycle and vehicular parking and servicing; utilities and other associated works incidental to the proposed development."

The applications, which Dorset Council will respond to, can be seen on the authority's website with the references P/ESP/2025/07593 and P/ESP/2025/07599.