Author Bryson joins campaign for green belt

7:00pm Thursday 6th September 2007

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BILL Bryson will be coming back to Bournemouth next Thursday to lead the campaign against green belt building schemes.

The travel author and former Daily Echo sub-editor was elected President of the Campaign for Protection of Rural England in July.

He is making Dorset his first stop on a tour against green belt housing plans and will be visiting Parley Cross, one of the areas under threat.

Terry Stewart, chair of Dorset CPRE, said: "He used to live in Bournemouth so he is making the county the first place he has visited.

"He is very concerned for the countryside and that it needs to be protected from over development. We will be showing him the green belt areas under threat like Christchurch, Parley Cross and Wimborne.

"He will be going on to give a talk to around 200 members of the CPRE at Cerne Abbas."

Mr Bryson, 55, the author of best sellers like Notes From A Small Island, called for the whole of the country to be made a national park in his inaugural speech as CPRE president.

He is from Des Moines in America but moved to England aged 26 and he has described Dorset as his favourite county.

Sheila Bourton, 64, chairman of Keep Wimborne Green, said: "We want to keep these issues are the forefront of people's minds so it's great news that Mr Bryson is coming here because so many people know him though his wonderful books.

"The developments are not a foregone conclusion."

A Government inspector is currently considering the Regional Spatial Strategy for the area, which proposes 34,000 houses for the area.