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The
Government, through The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, set up Regional
Assemblies to prepare strategies for various regions looking ahead to 2026.
In our
area the South West Regional Assembly (an unelected body based in Taunton) has been
considering various matters including massive new housing development. They
have requested East Dorset District Council to carry out a comprehensive
review of greenbelt land which could be used for housing development.
East
Dorset District Council has identified 5 “urban
extensions” as these greenbelt sites are
called. East Dorset District Council were the only authority to include
site specific plans as part of their submission to the Regional Spatial
Strategy.
We
feel as concerned residents that land designated as greenbelt should remain
as such and never be used for housing.
It is vitally important to retain greenbelt around
urban areas for the wellbeing of local people, wildlife and ultimately to
prevent the increase in urban sprawl.
Loss of greenbelt adversely affects the environment
and once gone is gone forever.
The S.W.R.A. have already submitted the draft Regional
Spatial Strategy to the Secretary of State at the Department for Communities and Local Government and it includes these 5
sites. The results of a 3 month
public consultation period and a review by an Independent Panel will
determine how many houses will be built in this region (Bournemouth, Poole, Christchurch Joint Study Area). The current
proposal is about 34,000.
East Dorset District is expected to absorb 6,300 new
homes outside the main conurbations, 2,300 of this number on greenbelt
land. This ignores the current lack of adequate infrastructure for the
existing population (which includes roads, schools, doctors and dentist,
hospitals, Post Offices etc..).
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