Dr Vince Cable MP visits Lytchett Matravers, Saturday 28th June 2008

2.15.35pm BST (GMT +0100) Tue 1st Jul 2008

Over 100 people attended a meeting at the Village Hall at 10am on Saturday 28th June, to meet Dr Vince Cable MP, the Liberal Democrat Shadow Chancellor. The meeting was specifically about the proposed extra 2750 houses in the green belt in the vicinity of Lytchett Minster/ Lytchett Matravers.

Annette Brooke MP said: 'Vince was able to give sound advice as to how an economic case could be presented against the need for this development and also pledged his support to the campaign to resist this proposal which came from the Examination in Public of the Regional Spatial Strategy despite being opposed by all our local councils.'

The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Hazel Blears, is expected to respond to this recommendation at the end of July and then there will be further consultation on the matter for a further 12 weeks. Other areas of green belt in Dorset, for example Corfe Mullen and Wimborne, are also affected and so it is important to watch out for this announcement and respond accordingly.

Annette said: 'It is so important to keep green spaces and protect individual communities. I certainly do not want to see wall to wall housing from Wareham to Christchurch. We do need affordable rented housing for local young people but this true housing need cannot be solved by massive housing developments.'