Battle over homes on Dorset green belt land (From Bournemouth Echo)

Battle over homes on Dorset green belt land

8:00am Monday 27th April 2009 in Search By Juliette Astrup

DORSET councils are preparing for a legal battle against the government over plans for green belt development.

Barrister Timothy Straker QC has been tasked with finding legal grounds to challenge housing figures laid out in Regional Spatial Strategy – 48,100 new homes in Dorset by 2026.

Hazel Blears, secretary of state for communities and local government, is not due to make the final decision on the plans until the end of June – but councils are preparing for the worst.

Jonathan Mair, head of legal and democratic services at Dorset County Council said: “When it is published Dorset councils will need to be ready to act quickly if this is to happen.”

He said Mr Straker had offered a “preliminary opinion” and was now looking in detail at concerns relating to specific districts.

So far the cost is around £1,000 each for Bournemouth, Poole and Dorset, but legal bills could rocket if the fight goes all the way. Mr Mair said the final cost would depend upon how many councils were prepared to participate, and if they won.

Dorset county councillor Susan Jefferies, who tabled a motion before cabinet asking for a commitment to legal action, said: “It’s going to be a difficult one to challenge, nobody should have any illusions about that.

“We can’t challenge the quality of Hazel Blears’ decision, we can’t say we all disagree with it – we could say she hadn’t been given all the evidence. The feeling is very strongly that local democracy has been utterly run-over roughshod.”

The strategy would decimate swathes of green belt with 1,500 homes planned around Bournemouth, 2,750 at Lytchett Minster, Lytchett Matravers and Upton, and 2,400 at West Parley, Corfe Mullen and Wimborne.