Poundbury. Photo: Marilyn Peddle

There’s a right royal row going on in Dorset between walkers and the heir to the throne over plans to expand his model village.

The Ramblers have formally objected to the application to build 1,200 extra homes at Poundbury, the retro extension to Dorchester built on Duchy of Cornwall land. The campaign group says the latest extensions to the village would cut off access to the countryside and force walkers on to busy roads.

Poundbury encapsulates much of Prince Charles’s philosophy on architecture and social cohesion. The first plans for the development  followed the appointment in 1988 of architect and town planner Leon Krier. Many of the buildings are in mock Georgian style and the settlement was deliberately planned to be high-density rather than suburban in feel.

But the South Dorset Ramblers say the latest plans, including business premises and a primary school, in addition to the extra housing are unacceptable. The walkers’ campaign group is supporting local residents in their opposition to the application and have accused the duchy of creating an ‘urban ghetto’ which flies in the face of the stated green ethos of Poundbury.

Prince Charles who is also Duke of Cornwall

The Ramblers say the rights of way outlined in the application strongly differ from the access measures that were proposed and agreed after significant local consultation in the 2006 Development Brief.

Peter Evans of South Dorset Ramblers said: “It’s shocking that we have ended up with proposals that hinder walkers when the prince himself said he wanted a plan that put the pedestrian at the heart of the design, instead of the car.

“We have tried unsuccessfully to negotiate alternatives with the duchy so have no choice but to lodge an objection because the new routes are just downright unsafe.”

The Ramblers also say Poundbury is ‘a stone’s throw’ from the iron-age fort at Maiden Castle, but if West Dorset District Council approves the duchy’s plans, people will be forced to drive to the ancient site because there is no easy pedestrian route. The duchy countered, saying: “The proposals for the next phase of development at Poundbury do include routes to Maiden Castle. This is in line with the Poundbury brief and masterplan.”

The Duchy of Cornwall was set up in 1337 by Edward III for his son and heir, Prince Edward – later known as The Black Prince. The current Duke also happens to be the Prince of Wales and uses the income from the estate but cannot spend any of the duchy’s capital.