Panel Report on the Draft Regional Spatial Strategy for the South West - published today

12.00.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Fri 11th Jan 2008

Commenting on the implications for her constituency, Annette Brooke MP, said:

'This is an appalling blow for local democracy and our area, an extra 2750 homes have been given the green light in the Western Sector, an area in the Upton /Lytchett Minster area. Issues such as infrastructure and our inadequate local roads, encroachment in our green belt and flood plain issues have been totally ignored.' There is little appreciation that we live in an area which is tightly constrained for development by our natural environment and by poor infrastructure'

Development in this area was opposed by all our local councils, many local residents and by Annette Brooke MP.

In addition 700 homes in Corfe Mullen in the Green Belt have also been supported in this document despite objections from the Parish Council and thousands of Corfe Mullen residents.

Annette said:

'We know that we need more homes for local young people but this is not the right way to achieve those goals - the scale of development should be smaller and much more focussed on those needs. These proposals will simply draw more people into the area and generate so much more traffic.

'Despite the fact that representations are not invited upon the Panel Report at this stage I shall write to the Secretary of State directly.'

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

Annette Brooke MP requested permission three times to speak on behalf of local residents at the Examination in Public, she was not allowed to do this.

The Panel proposes to push up the annual rate of new homes from 23,060 per year to 28,000 across the whole of the South West Region

The Panel proposes to increase the proposed number of dwellings in Purbeck between 2006 and 2026 from 2,100 to 5150, in Poole from 9,500 to 10,000 and in East Dorset from 5200 to 6400.

The report also covers a range of other issues including employment.