HOMES PLEDGE (From Bournemouth Echo)

HOMES PLEDGE

7:00am Friday 4th July 2008 in

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THE green belt is safe in Conservative hands.

That was the pledge from Tory leader David Cameron in an exclusive interview with the Daily Echo yesterday.

And he said Dorset would not have to face the prospect of 48,000 new homes being built if he becomes Prime Minister.

The Opposition leader spoke to the Echo after addressing the Local Government Association conference at the BIC and said councils would be free to make their own decisions.

“Local areas should get a greater choice about the balance they want to strike between development and conservation.”

Tory leader David Cameron

He told us: "We will scrap the government targets because they are the wrong approach.

"Targets create a huge amount of local anger and people feel they haven't been consulted and that it's being imposed on them.

"Yes we need more homes built, everyone knows that, but it should be done from the bottom up which should be local councils getting incentives to build houses so they feel it's of benefit to their community.

"Local areas should get a greater choice about the balance they want to strike between development and conservation."

He described the green belt as "a very important safeguard," and said he would abolish regional assemblies.

"Be in no doubt they will go and their powers returned to local councils."

Last week the Echo reported that local councils were uniting to fight tens of thousands of new homes in south east Dorset, expected to be announced by the government this month.

They include 16,100 in Bournemouth and 10,000 in Poole between now and 2026.

Outside the BIC, the Tory leader met dozens of campaigners from Lytchett Matravers, where plans for several thousands of the proposed homes are being bitterly opposed.

He said: "I think one of the most precious assets we have as a nation is the beauty of the countryside. It really should be for local people to be in the driving seat, to have the power to make these decisions."

Mr Cameron told delegates that while he would devolve power to local councils, he wanted them to do the same with voluntary bodies, charities and community organisations.

"We have to let go to you and you have to let go to the community. I hope you will keep your part of the bargain if I keep mine."

But he warned them: "If we win the next election there will be no magic pot of money.

"The cupboard is already bare. It will be tough."

Mr Cameron also told the Echo there was no easy answer to local government finance and the scourge of ever increasing council tax bills.

"It's just been used as a stealth tax and has basically doubled in areas like this. No one feels their services are as good as ten years ago. We will do all we can to take bureaucracy off local government."

He added: "I believe Dorset will be better off under the Conservatives. The big challenge is the broken society and we need a government that really gets to grips with that."