Green Belt Protest Heads to Parliament

12.22.00pm UTC (GMT +0000) Fri 10th Oct 2008

Annette talks to the Press

Local protestors, angry at the Government's top down and intrusive Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS), took their message directly to Parliament today. If implemented, the RSS would result in an extra 2750 homes in the Lytchett Minster area and 700 more in Corfe Mullen, all without meaningful local consultation or additional infrastructure.

After a loud and vocal protest outside Westminster, representatives of the group, led by local MP Annette Brooke, presented a personal letter to Gordon Brown at Downing Street (see below). "It's blatantly obvious how strongly local people oppose these plans. Despite our attempts the Government has so far failed to listen to us, but I fully intend to change that," stated Annette.

The protest was well covered by the media, and in her second television interview of the day Annette called for the RSS to be scrapped. "I do not deny that we need more affordable housing, but this is totally the wrong way to go about it. The RSS is a fundamentally undemocratic piece of legislation. It is ill thought out, full of holes and insensitive to the needs of my constituents."

Protesters outside Parliament

The situation worsened in the last few days when it was confirmed that brown field sites would not be prioritised above use of the green belt for new developments, giving developers the go ahead to sprawl out of existing urban areas. Annette Brooke spoke out strongly in that debate, as did a large number of Lib Dem MP's from across the south west.

Letter to Gordon Brown PM:

The Rt Hon Gordon Brown

10 Downing Street

London SW1A 2AA

9th October 2008

Dear Gordon,

In unprecedented numbers, my constituents are extremely concerned about a particular local issue. The issue stems from the proposals in the SW Regional Spatial Strategy. There are two large developments proposed in my constituency, both in the green belt, which I know you are committed to robustly protecting. One is opposed by all locally elected bodies and elected representatives and was only introduced in the Panel Report of the Examination in Public. This proposal is for 2750 homes in Lytchett Minster, in the green belt, on good quality farmland, and would result in an urban sprawl from the conurbation of Bournemouth and Poole. Surely it is still important to protect the identity of individual communities. In addition, as you will know, Dorset is fortunate to have large tracts of valuable heathlands which do constrain development and of course the habitat within them is of great importance. No new road infrastructure accompanies these proposals, we already suffer from massive congestion particularly in the tourist season. Indeed, it would be impossible to improve the road network without damaging the heathlands.

In addition 700 homes are proposed in a beautiful green valley in Corfe Mullen in my constituency. This is not a location that local people would choose to build upon and is opposed strongly by the local Parish Council, the local District Council and all elected representatives.

We do have housing needs in my constituency but the solution of building until house prices fall is not appropriate for our area with all its environmental constraints and an area which attracts 2nd home purchasers. We need small developments of housing in local communities, in locations determined by those communities and made available for local young people. We do need more Government support for our Housing Associations.

On behalf of my constituents I ask the Government to scrap these proposals and enable a local process to address the real needs of our communities.

Yours sincerely

Annette Brooke MP

Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for

Children, Schools and Families

MP for Mid Dorset and North Poole