EARLY plans for the construction of hundreds of homes in Wool have been made public.

Savills has written to Dorset Council outlining its intention to submit applications for the development of four sites in the village for up to 470 houses.

Although it said its proposals were "unlikely to result in widespread environmental effects”, the firm has requested advice as to whether it needs to carry out a full assessment of the schemes’ impacts ahead of lodging plans.

Purbeck Local Plan allocated 36 hectares of land in the village as being suitable for development as part of efforts to meet government housing targets.

In its letter, sent earlier this month, Savills said just over a third would be used for new homes with the rest used for other facilities and open space.

“This proposal is for up to 470 dwellings adjacent to existing housing in Wool,” the firm’s director Cliff Lane said.

“Although currently an undeveloped site, the proposed new housing would be entirely compatible with neighbouring land uses and a large proportion of the site is proposed to remain as public open space.”

In May, Savills wrote to the council saying it expected the first new homes to be built in 2020 with construction finished in either 2027 or 2028.

It said its intention was to submit outline applications for all the sites except for a 30-home scheme for land north of the railway line which would be lodged separately with full details.

Environmental impact assessments are required of developments which are likely to have a significant effect on the environment.

The letter requests council planning officers decide whether one needs to be carried out in this case.

However, Mr Lane said Savills did not think an assessment needed to be carried out.

“Whilst important in terms of delivery to the local housing market, this is not a quantity of development that is likely to give rise to widespread environmental effects,” he said.

Council planning officers will consider whether an assessment is required in the coming weeks.