THIS hasn't been decided yet.

That is the message from a campaign group aimed at preventing development on green belt land in Poole amid proposals to build 5,500 new homes across Merley and Bearwood.

Around 35 residents attended a meeting last night at Bearwood Community Centre to discuss concerns raised by the Dorset Campaign to Protect Rural England.

Its group chairman Terry Stewart and Poole chairman Gerald Rigler joined Borough of Poole councillor Marion Pope - in her capacity as independent lobbyist - to give residents the chance to voice their views on developing on green field sites.

The CPRE's aim is to "save Poole's green belt from vandal, ugly development".

Mr Stewart told the meeting: "The Government has asked all councils around the country to review their local plans to see how many houses they can squeeze in.

"We have got an awful lot of environmental constraints. We really are limited in the amount of land we can build on."

He said, that while the group feels affordable housing is vital for future generations, housing should be built on 'appropriate' sites with sufficient provisions to ease pressure on amenities, schools and doctors' surgeries that already exists.

Mr Rigler said he was worried that developers would be given a "free run" of green belt land under the pressure to build new houses which would be "the worst case scenario".

"We think that Poole has got splendid characteristics which need protecting," he said.

Merley and Bearwood ward councillor David Brown said more needed to be done to ensure that any extra housing built would not become holiday homes for tourists and spoke of the referendum on second homes in St Ives held earlier this year.

"Planning have no control over that. That's a problem we need to get addressed," he said.

Fellow ward councillor Jane Newell said she was concerned that many residents believed the "battle had already been lost" after reading comments on social media which she said spread rumours that the developments were a done deal.

More needed to be done to spread the word that the decision had not yet been made, Cllr Pope said, and that every resident was free to lobby the Borough of Poole on their feelings on green belt development.