Stepford Wives or a step in the right direction? Poundbury, the 162 hectare development west of the Dorset market town of Dorchester, evokes strong reactions. Yet its aim is to blend with its surroundings.

The development, championed by Prince Charles, has attracted an inordinate amount of press comment. Much has focused on the architecture: the much-vaunted mix of styles taken from the 18th and 19th centuries in an effort to replicate the look of a town that has been there for centuries. Not everyone thinks it works.