I WOULD like to comment on the letter by Pete Bower, which I agree with.

The borough has a local plan which dictates that Portland has to build a certain amount of housing each year, this target has been set from central government housing policy.

We have no neighbourhood plan as yet on Portland to protect against development.

The school sites will be developed on for housing.

There is a building on that site so no excuse really, it’s the type and size of the development that we can influence. My concern is the so called starter homes, even with a discount these homes, are not affordable to local people.

Young people don’t have the incomes unless they are earning well above the national average.

I have always campaigned for affordability, we don’t need more executive homes on Portland, we need homes for local people.

This means building homes for the housing association to rent, homes for elderly people or one bed flats or bungalows, I have never known a developer to build based on local need, it’s always been for profit.

Only recently the borough have voted to sell off plots of land with no consultation with those communities it will affect.

Our housing is now about the market and before we start building like Pete Bower stated sort out the bigger issues.

Portland infrastructure can not support a huge increase in housing with out investment, we need better roads, our schools need funding.

We need more GPs to deal with the increased demand.

We have recently lost our only bank, lost a bus service, youth services, we have to find extra money just to clear the basics like weeds.

We need jobs, and business will not move to Portland if our only road on and off is regularly busy.

Portland is an amazing place to live but sometimes I feel that we are ignored.

Penny McCartney Blindmere Road Portland