A PROPOSAL to name Poundbury streets after Dorset heroes has been rejected by town councillors.

Dorchester town council planning committee argued that adopting the names of several Victoria Cross soldiers, two battles and a ship for future streets was inappropriate for the development and could set an awkward precedent, at last night's planning and environment committee meeting.

Several historic names had been put forward including Vickery, Kellaway, O'Sullivan, Queripel and Warr after Dorset Regiment soldiers who had been awarded the Victoria Cross, the battles Kohima and Peninsular, and Sarah Sands - a ship which sank while carrying members of the regiment.

Chairman of the planning committee, Coun Fiona Kent-Ledger said: "From the start of the Poundbury development the Duchy had a policy of using names from Duchy farms and estates, such as Highgrove House and Hascombe Court, and that's a nice connection - we like to keep a theme.

"It's quite a sensitive subject as there are people in Dorchester who have lost loved ones in past and recent conflict.

"We can't continue to name streets after people, once one street is named the floodgates are open."

She added: "I can understand it would be nice but a place like the Little Keep built on the former Dorchestershire regiment barrack grounds is far more fitting.

"It's not for political reasons or the fact we're celebrating war, it's just trying to be practical about where names are used because once they're there, they're there forever."

Coun Susie Hosford said: "It makes me feel slightly uneasy when we start singling out particular people for street names. It could be hurtful to other families who don't get mentioned."

Coun Stella Jones agreed and asked if the Prince of Wales had run out of farm and estates names.

She said: "If they have run out which they won't for a while, they should go into names from Cornwall so people know roughly which area of Dorchester they're talking about."