LETTERS from David Banks, Elaine Cooper et al about the government white paper Planning for the Future highlight deficiencies in the proposals.

Another is the government assertion that it has in place strong protections for the Green Belt: it has not.

In March this year, the leader, Cllr Vikki Slade, assured me that cabinet “...were not intending to amend any Green Belt boundaries through the Local Plan”.

This has not deterred many owners of Green Belt sites in North Poole from submitting their land for development: not surprising when one considers the huge increase in value that results when Green Belt designation is removed.

Among the sites listed is Canford Park Arena, off the A341 Magna Road.

The council has published the owner as WH White Ltd. That is wrong. Canford Park Arena is public land, that is it belongs to us, the freehold of which is owned by BCP Council.

The council is reluctant to correct the misinformation it has published.

Some years ago, WH White Ltd pressed the now defunct Poole Council to release the arena from the Green Belt for development.

While the asset managers did not rule out a ‘marriage’ with WH White to release the land at some point in the future, it was not needed for development at that stage. If the council now wants to develop Canford Park Arena, it should say so.

I am not reassured by the council claiming that recording WH White as owner on its local plan web page does not signify anything and the arena may not be included when the sites go out for public consultation

BCP Council has been rated ‘F’ by Transparency International UK, the lowest rating of the 50 local authorities assessed in relation to corruption risks.

Failure to observe the Nolan Principle of openness and transparency in this matter is not helpful.

MARION POPE

Save the Green Belt in Poole

Ross Gardens, Bearwood