Prince Charles' 'unworkable' Village

8 months ago 25th Mar 14:00

Britain's Prince Charles has revealed how builders branded his model village idea as "unworkable".

The heir to the throne thought of the idea for the area in Dorset - which work began on in 1993 and is due to be completed by 2025 - in his 1989 book 'A Vision of Britain'.

But because it involved a mixture of affordable, social and privately-owned housing, it was deemed a failure.

Speaking about how he dined with builders at his Highgrove home, Charles revealed: "I was explaining what I wanted to do, how you could have affordable housing mixed with other housing.

They all drank my drink and ate my food and said, 'But your Royal Highness in the real world we could not possibly sell houses next to these people.'

"They all drank my drink and ate my food and said, 'But your Royal Highness in the real world we could not possibly sell houses next to these people.'"

About 1,100 people currently live in the village and it will eventually house about 5,000 people with 2,000 jobs in the factories, offices and shops.

Charles revealed the builders' fears as he officially opened the village's new fire headquarters.

He toured Dorset Fire and Rescue HQ at Poundbury, near Dorchester, with international guests.

The station is part of an £80m project which included a new police station and joint fire HQ in Poole.

David Fox, chairman of Dorset Fire Authority said: "The fact that our new headquarters is built on Duchy land makes it particularly appropriate that His Royal Highness has found time in his busy programme to formally open the building and Dorchester Fire Station."