I LIVE just outside Wimborne. 

Residents of this area have just been informed that the council plans to give the green light to building in excess of 5,000 new houses within a couple of square miles of currently empty land between two already close residential areas in the next few years to go towards homes they say are needed by 2033.

I first wonder where these 5000+ families/people live at the moment – with parents?

In rented accommodation? In which case, most of them are likely to be first-time buyers who, unless they are lucky(?!) enough to be left large sums of money by deceased relatives, will be unable to afford most of the new homes, knowing the cost of houses in this part of the world.

Secondly, the roads around here are already gridlocked during the morning and evening rush hours, especially in school term time, and what schools and hospitals there are are also at full capacity.

As far as I am aware, there are no concurrent plans to expand or improve the roads and other infrastructure in the area to cope with the enormous increase in number of people and traffic which would emanate from 5000 + new houses in such a small area.

I am sure this problem is, and already has been, present in many other parts of the country – particularly in the South East.

So my proposal to the government and council planners is this:

Is it not time to start looking a bit further forward and realise it is madness to expect the ever-expanding population of this country to keep being accommodated by just increased building in and on the edges of already crowded areas and accept that we must think about building completely new towns with their own schools, hospitals, shops, leisure centres, etc, on some of the vast open spaces that lie away from existing towns and cities?

Yes, I mean on green belt, farmland, moorland, etc.

I am a great lover of the countryside but we cannot remain so naïve and short-sighted that we think these areas must be sacrosanct forever – unless someone has a grand plan to freeze the population of this country at the figure it is now.

And yes, being practical does mean a lot of people are going to have to get used to the idea that they cannot all live in London, Kent, Sussex, Hampshire, and Dorset.

Over to you, the ones who make these decisions on our behalf (and, historically, have actually managed to get the odd one right!).

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