Council joins fight over 5,000 homes (From Bournemouth Echo)

Council joins fight over 5,000 homes

7:00pm Monday 9th June 2008 in Search By Steven Smith

THE planning boss of Purbeck District Council says the authority will be preparing its case against more than 5,000 new homes proposed by government with the possibility of a High Court battle in mind.

The council began its consultation with residents yesterday and plans to use the responses when it presents its objections when the central government consultation on the Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS) starts later in the summer.

Locals were left fuming earlier this year when an independent panel reviewing the draft RSS recommended 5,150 homes be built in Purbeck by 2026 - a massive 146 per cent increase from the 2,100 proposed in the draft and the largest percentage rise in the south west.

Of the total, 2,750 are planned for a proposed "western extension" on green belt land at Lytchett Matravers, Lytchett Minster and Upton.

There has been much opposition to the idea from residents and organisations alike.

Head of planning services, Mark Sturgess, said the council's case would be based on hard evidence that could stand up to scrutiny if the authority was forced to challenge a decision at a judicial review further down the line.

"If we have got an evidence-based case then we have a better chance of winning than if we just stamped our feet and said we didn't want it," he said.

"If the Secretary of State ignores our evidence and doesn't take it into account then the council has the option to go to judicial review," he said.

Mr Sturgess said there were many arguments against the western extension, as much of Purbeck was protected by various environmental caveats, such as being an area of outstanding natural beauty.

He said the council had tried to earmark land at Holton Heath for 1,300 homes in the past but the idea fell down on conservation grounds.

"We feel that the site at Lytchett Matravers, Lytchett Minster and Upton will run into the same sort of problems," added Mr Sturgess.

He said nowhere in Purbeck was suitable for such numbers.

"We would argue that Purbeck is not an appropriate area for a large volume of houses because of the quality of its environment. It's probably the most biodiverse area in the country.

"We would have the same sort of reaction to somewhere like Wool as we do at Lytchett Matravers."

In recent months Purbeck council has created a new dedicated planning department, which it says will streamline the whole process.

As part of the consultation, every home in the three affected areas will receive a questionnaire and residents in other parts of the district will be able to pick one up at libraries or fill it out on the council's website, purbeck.gov.uk.

This week, council leader Cllr Gary Suttle said the authority "unanimously deplores and condemns" the proposals.

The consultation runs until Monday, July 28.