THIS is a grim day for Dorset. Not only has bird flu broken out at Abbotsbury Swannery, one of the most beautiful spots in the county, but plans have also been revealed to build thousands of homes on green belt land.

Bird flu at the swannery is a truly worrying development that could have awful consequences for a significant time.

All we can do is to take what precautions are necessary and hope for the best.

But the impact of building on our green belt will be felt for generations to come.

The facts are that, due to a number of reasons - including people living longer, smaller family units and immigration - we need more homes.

We all know that the demand for homes compared to the supply pushes up house prices beyond the range that many of our children can ever hope to afford. They can't get a foot on the property ladder.

The issue, therefore, is what type of homes should be built and where.

What is happening is that, in towns and villages, attractive villas and other properties are being torn down with blocks of flats going up, eating into garden land. And the new flats are often too expensive for young people seeking starter homes. (Meanwhile, many second homes in Dorset are largely unoccupied.) No doubt some green belt land could be built on without taking away the sort of countryside that you'd stop to photograph. But much is too precious to sacrifice.

The issue's a toughie for which simple answers cannot be found. But if mistakes are made now, the social impact could be devastating. Just think of the effect of the high-rise development strategy in towns and cities in the 1960s.

Consequential wrong decisions taken now could leave our children well and truly up the swanee decades on from now.