Winfrith Site Winfrith Newburgh DT2 8WQ Data via plota.co.uk

P/FUL/2026/00700 - Full Planning Application Out To Consultation

Proposal

Continued decommissioning and restoration of the former Winfrith Nuclear Research Site including demolition of above ground structures, permanent retention of below-ground radioactively contaminated structures and use of radioactively contaminated and non-radioactive demolition arisings emplaced in below ground voids. Engineering and landscaping operations to regrade and modify the landform and drainage to achieve an End State suitable for a future use of heathland with public access. Data via plota.co.uk

View original council record ↗Last checked

Application progress

✓
Received
21 Apr 2026
Decision
Expected by 16 Jun 2026

Under consideration

No decision has been issued yet. Plota predicted a decision soon after comments close on 26 Jul 2026; it is now day 171.

The consultation period closed on 26 Jul 2026.

Documents 83

Statements & assessments 34

PDF Further Response - DC - Flood Risk Management - 14/08/2026 unknown size · 14 Aug 2026 View ↗
PDF Name hidden Show unknown size · 6 Jul 2026 View ↗
PDF Response - Environmental Assessment to ES - 11.06.2026 unknown size · 11 Jun 2026 View ↗ PDF Response - Environmental Assessment ES Review - 11.06.2026 unknown size · 11 Jun 2026 View ↗ PDF Response - DC - Flood Risk Management - 07/05/2026 unknown size · 7 May 2026 View ↗ PDF Environmental Statement Figures - Figure 4.1 Plan of End State Topography unknown size · 23 Mar 2026 View ↗ PDF BNG Statement Form V4 unknown size · 23 Mar 2026 View ↗ PDF Biodiversity Net Gain Statutory Metric unknown size · 23 Mar 2026 View ↗ PDF ES - Technical Report 2 - Ecology - Appendix C - Winfrith Breeding Bird Survey Report.pdf unknown size · 20 Mar 2026 View ↗ PDF ES - Technical Report 2 - Ecology - Appendix D - Wintering Bird Report unknown size · 9 Mar 2026 View ↗ PDF ES - Technical Report 2 - Ecology unknown size · 4 Mar 2026 View ↗ PDF Environmental Statement - Chapters 1 - 12 unknown size · 11 Feb 2026 View ↗ PDF ES - Technical Report 2 - Ecology - Appendix A - Desk Study Technical Note unknown size · 11 Feb 2026 View ↗ PDF ES - Technical Report 2 - Ecology - Appendix B - Habitat Baseline Report unknown size · 11 Feb 2026 View ↗ PDF ES - Technical Report 2 - Ecology - Appendix E - Bat Roost Assessment And Surveys Report Public unknown size · 11 Feb 2026 View ↗ PDF ES - Technical Report 2 - Ecology - Appendix F - Bat Activity Report unknown size · 11 Feb 2026 View ↗ PDF ES - Technical Report 2 - Ecology - Appendix G - Great Crested Newt Edna Report unknown size · 11 Feb 2026 View ↗ PDF ES - Technical Report 2 - Ecology - Appendix H - Reptile Report unknown size · 11 Feb 2026 View ↗ PDF ES - Technical Report 2 - Ecology - Appendix J - Terrestrial Invertebrate Report unknown size · 11 Feb 2026 View ↗ PDF ES - Technical Report 2 - Ecology - Appendix K - Aquatic Ecology Report unknown size · 11 Feb 2026 View ↗ PDF ES - Technical Report 4 - Land Contamination unknown size · 11 Feb 2026 View ↗ PDF ES - Technical Report 5 - Landscape And Visual Impact Assessment unknown size · 11 Feb 2026 View ↗ PDF ES - Technical Report 8 - Surface Water and Flood Risk unknown size · 11 Feb 2026 View ↗ PDF ES - Technical Report 10 - Noise And Vibration Assessment unknown size · 11 Feb 2026 View ↗ PDF ES - Technical Report 11 - Transport Statement unknown size · 11 Feb 2026 View ↗ PDF Environmental Statement Figures unknown size · 11 Feb 2026 View ↗ PDF Environmental Statement Non Technical Summary unknown size · 11 Feb 2026 View ↗ PDF Planning Statement unknown size · 11 Feb 2026 View ↗ PDF Flood Risk Assessment unknown size · 11 Feb 2026 View ↗
PDF Commenter’s name hidden Show unknown size · 11 Feb 2026 View ↗
PDF Habitats Regulations Assessment Screening And Appropriate Assessment unknown size · 11 Feb 2026 View ↗ PDF Biodiversity Net Gain Statement unknown size · 11 Feb 2026 View ↗ PDF Biodiversity Net Gain Metric UKHab Baseline Map unknown size · 11 Feb 2026 View ↗ PDF Biodiversity Net Gain Metric Post Development Habitats unknown size · 11 Feb 2026 View ↗

Consultation & comments 24

PDF Response - Natural England - 17/08/26 unknown size · 25 Aug 2026 View ↗ PDF Response - Environment Agency - 24/08/26 unknown size · 25 Aug 2026 View ↗ PDF Response - Amphibian and Reptile Conservation - 17/07/2026 unknown size · 29 Jul 2026 View ↗ PDF Further Response - Environment Agency - 29/07/2026 unknown size · 29 Jul 2026 View ↗ PDF Email From Agent Re LLFA Comments 29.07.2026 unknown size · 29 Jul 2026 View ↗
PDF Commenter’s name hidden Show unknown size · 10 Jul 2026 View ↗
PDF Response - Environment Mitigation Delivery - 08.07.2026 unknown size · 8 Jul 2026 View ↗ PDF Response - Rights Of Way - 08.07.2026 unknown size · 8 Jul 2026 View ↗ PDF Response - DC - Economic Growth and Regeneration Service - 08/07/2026 unknown size · 8 Jul 2026 View ↗ PDF Response - Environment Agency - 19/06/2026 unknown size · 24 Jun 2026 View ↗ PDF Response - Network Rail - 09/06/2026 unknown size · 10 Jun 2026 View ↗ PDF Response - Landscape Officer - 09.06.2026 unknown size · 9 Jun 2026 View ↗ PDF Response - DC - Environmental Protection - 03/06/2026 unknown size · 5 Jun 2026 View ↗ PDF Response - Office For Nuclear Regulation - 21/05/2026 unknown size · 5 Jun 2026 View ↗ PDF Response - Historic England - 28/05/2026 unknown size · 3 Jun 2026 View ↗ PDF Response - DC - Highways Officer - 01/06/2026 unknown size · 1 Jun 2026 View ↗ PDF Response - WPA Contaminated Land Consultants - 01.06.2026 unknown size · 1 Jun 2026 View ↗ PDF Response - Ramblers Association - 28/05/2026 unknown size · 28 May 2026 View ↗ PDF Response - DC - Conservation - 26/05/2026 unknown size · 26 May 2026 View ↗ PDF Response - National Grid Plant Protection - 20/05/2026 unknown size · 20 May 2026 View ↗ PDF Response - Wool PC - 19/05/2026 unknown size · 19 May 2026 View ↗ PDF Response - Dorset AONB Team - 18/05/2026 unknown size · 18 May 2026 View ↗ PDF Response - Winfrith Newburgh and East Knighton PC - 14/05/2026 unknown size · 14 May 2026 View ↗
PDF Name hidden Show unknown size · 13 May 2026 View ↗

All documents on the council site ↗

Site constraints 7

Special area of conservation: Dorset Heaths
3 designations overlap here. A habitats assessment is needed.
Harm to a protected site is only accepted where there is no alternative and an overriding public interest.
SSSI: Winfrith Heath SSSI
Natural England must be consulted on work that may affect it.
Sites of special scientific interest are the best wildlife and geological sites in the country. Development likely to harm one is rarely permitted.
Nutrient neutrality catchment: Poole Harbour SPA/Ramsar
New homes and overnight accommodation must show nutrient neutrality before approval.
Natural England advice: extra wastewater in these catchments harms protected habitats, so schemes must offset their nutrient load, usually through credits.
Priority habitat: Lowland heathland
A habitat of principal importance. It shapes the ecology work and the biodiversity net gain a scheme has to show.
Agricultural land, grade 3b
Not best and most versatile land (grades 1, 2 and 3a). Source: the Predictive Agricultural Land Classification Map (Defra and Natural England, 2025; the Welsh Government's Predictive ALC Map 2 in Wales), a model rather than a site survey. Natural England's Provisional ALC map (1:250,000, 1970s) agrees.
Where development of farmland is needed, policy prefers poorer land over the best and most versatile (grades 1, 2 and 3a). Three sources: Natural England's post-1988 field surveys, which are definitive where they exist; the Defra predictive map for England (2025) and the Welsh Government predictive map, modelled from the soil map with 3a and 3b split; and the 1970s provisional map, which planners and other services still show, coarser and with grade 3 undivided. Where the provisional and predicted grades disagree, treat the predicted grade as the current estimate and expect an application to carry its own survey.
Habitat network: Lowland heathland
Where habitat is joined up enough to work as a network. Context, not a constraint on its own.
Also on the record
Nature improvement area: Wild Purbeck.
Not affected
Outside flood zones 2 and 3 · Not green belt · No listed building at the site

Checked on 6 October 2026. Historic England, the Environment Agency, Natural England and council datasets, Open Government Licence. A boundary can run through a site and the council holds the definitive record: confirm with the council before relying on this.

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Important details

Council
Dorset
Application type
Full Planning Application
Postcode
DT2 8WQ
Received
21 Apr 2026
Validated
21 Apr 2026
Ward
West Purbeck Ward
Parish
Winfrith Newburgh
Case officer
Show
Decision level
Committee
Applicant
Show

Decision outlook

Day 171, past the statutory target. 91% of demolitions in Dorset are decided within thirteen weeks; extensions of time are common, and the council need not decide on the day. Last seen undecided on 7 Oct 2026.

Day 171115 days past the 56-day target
64%decided within 8 weeks
92%approved
308decided in the last year

Plota live figures for demolitions decided by Dorset in the last twelve months, from validation. Dorset decision record →

Consultation & key dates

Comments by
26 Jul 2026
Dorset
Planning Authority Score
7.5/10
Good
#44 of 296 councils
Relevant to this application:
Householder decisions

Dorset is faster than most councils at deciding householder applications, ranking #51 out of 296. Householder applications are slightly more likely to be approved here (95%) than the national average (90%).

Faster than most councils
for householder decisions
These figures are council-wide context, not a prediction for this application. View full council performance
Dorset decision statistics
Based on MHCLG data, the year to March 2026
92%
Overall approval rate
Above avg (87%) #80 of 296
95%
Householder approved
Above avg (90%) #74 of 296
78%
Decided in 8 weeks
Above avg (63%) #51 of 296
35%
Extended time limit
Below avg (41%) #102 of 296
81%
Minor dwellings approved
344 decided (1-9 homes)
85%
Major dwellings approved
40 decided (10+ homes)
76%
Change of use approved
85 decided
2,781
Total decisions
233 refused in the year to March 2026