AJC Group has secured planning permission for 78 new homes in the North Dorset village of Okeford Fitzpaine after successfully appealing Dorset Council’s decision to refuse the development.
The detailed proposals for land north of Castle Lane will deliver 78 one to four-bedroom houses and apartments, including at least 31 genuinely affordable homes for local people, with a mix of affordable rent and shared ownership options.
The 3.4-hectare site sits immediately north of Comerwicke Fields, AJC Group’s 27-home development, which was delivered as 100% affordable housing and completed in 2023.
AJC Group submitted its application for the second phase in 2025, with proposals including extensive landscaping and open space, sustainable drainage and new pedestrian connections to Comerwicke Fields, the village recreation ground and village centre.
Dorset Council’s planning committee subsequently refused the application, despite planning officers recommending approval. AJC Group appealed the decision, with a Planning Inspector hearing the case in August 2026.
Simon McFarlane, Planning Director at AJC Group, said: “This development should never have needed an appeal. It was recommended for approval by the council’s own professional planning officers, yet its refusal has delayed 78 much-needed homes and resulted in substantial additional costs running into hundreds of thousands of pounds for a regional SME housebuilder trying to support the area.”
“We employ local people and work with local trades and suppliers to deliver our developments, so delays like this have consequences beyond the homes themselves. At a time when Dorset urgently needs more housing, the planning system should be supporting responsible local developers to get on and build, not creating unnecessary and costly barriers.”
AJC Group will now progress plans for the development, with further details on the construction programme to be announced in due course.
