RODNEY Best’s (‘Homes left empty’ - Sept 10), hits the nail on the head.

Looking back, WDDC proceeded six years ago with a new shopping development against the wishes of pretty-well every Dorchester resident and despite informed criticism from many other sectors.

A well-established trend towards internet shopping was growing daily and retail shops were in decline.

The result was the waste of some £15 million, empty shops appeared everywhere and WDDC received much public criticism.

Tory Councillors mostly from the ‘shires’ had ignored the needs of the ‘townies’ of Dorchester without regret or shame.

WDDC is once more angering Durnovarians with a new ‘plan’ hatched ‘off stage’ and presented at great cost and little discussion. Dorchester’s real need is for houses which are truly affordable to rent or buy.

In the face of 10 years’ economic stagnation followed by the possibility of a suicidal ‘no deal’ Brexit, WDDC proposes building 3,500 houses just north of the town to meet an ‘assumed’ boom in business growth and an influx of workers.

Needless to say, it’s unlikely that any of these houses are likely to be ‘affordable’ in the true sense of the word’ especially to workers; as if Poundbury isn’t providing enough expensive properties already.

Naked greed and ostentatious wealth are now destroying the way of life of many towns. In the South-West, some councils are banning ‘second homes’.

Exmouth for instance, used to be a delightful seaside place to visit.

Try walking around there mid-week and you will find yourself in a depressing place without life or lights in its windows.

Absentee owners and landlords now use housing as an investment with rich returns.

This has put renting or trying to buy even a decent flat, outside the reach of the country’s young.

The £millions to be made when farmland is turned over to developers adds another problem.

Insurers put the cost of rebuilding a house following its destruction at about 50% of its market value.

Presumably therefore, given some free land, decent council houses and flats for around £100,000 -150,000 could be constructed here.

Dorset now has some 1,700 homeless families many of whom are in full employment.

I’m sure Prince Charles could be persuaded to donate some Duchy land here and there to house them, having already done so well himself in the property business.

Better still, perhaps HRH could also build and rent them to the needy at their ‘cost price’?

It would certainly be good PR.

Whatever, we must overcome this latest audacity of WDDC. It’s badly thought out and destructive. The real need is for houses which ‘tick the box’ of the ‘have-nots’.

The ‘haves’ already have enough!

Mike Joslin

Dorchester