Dorset Natural Heritage Initiative - save our AONB

Aim

80 Houses. Zero Sense. Help us save Dorset's natural heritage.

Dorset’s unique natural and cultural heritage is under threat.

Developers plan to build 80+ private houses - with no social housing - on land at Parnham Park, near Beaminster and Netherbury.

This unwanted and extractive development would scar one of Dorset’s most beautiful landscapes, beloved by locals and visitors alike, and immortalised by Thomas Hardy as “Emminster.”

The Dorset National Heritage Initiative (DNHI) was formed by local volunteers to protect this irreplaceable landscape and the wildlife, green spaces and quiet enjoyment it provides.

The proposed private housing estate poses an immediate and irreversible threat to biodiversity, local infrastructure, and the peace of those who walk, jog, ride or simply cherish this countryside.

We are a small community group fighting a giant - without the luxury of consultants or corporate funding. Since forming in Summer 2025, we’ve made great progress: leafleting every home in Beaminster and Netherbury; hosting information stalls; creating maps, posters, window stickers and placards, and enlisting over 850 residents as DNHI members among the many more who want to oppose the development.

Now, we urgently need your help to build a fighting fund. Donations will cover:

·         Specialist legal & planning advice

·         Communication materials & print costs

Our goal is to empower local people to object effectively and ensure Dorset Council understands that this development is unwanted, unsustainable and unjustified.

The planning application may already be in process, meaning we could have just 3-4 weeks to respond once it’s published. Time is critical.

If you care about nature, biodiversity, and preserving Dorset’s unspoilt beauty for future generations, please donate today. Every pound will help us defend this treasured landscape from permanent damage.

Together, we can stop Hardy’s countryside from being lost beneath bricks and concrete.

Please donate, share this page, and sign up for updates on how to object to the planning application.

Thank you for helping us protect Dorset’s timeless landscape.

Funding method

Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made