The situation in Fordington is a clear example of the over-development of housing in Dorchester mentioned by Councillor Andy Canning, and the increase in speculative development proposals warned against by Councillor Ian Gardner.

Almost every spare inch of land has had houses and flats built on it to such an extent that the whole character of the conservation area is under threat.

From my experience of a recent (now withdrawn) planning application it appears that developers and others believe that, in part because of how things were in Victorian times, modern planning regulations don’t apply in Fordington and current residents should accept lower standards than those who live elsewhere.

We need to recognise that urban open areas, both public and private, are precious.

This isn’t about NIMBYism. It’s about saving a much-loved area before it’s ruined.

Before embarking on more development we should deal with the causes of the shortage of housing in Dorchester and nationally, particularly housing that people can afford:

• Council houses have been sold off under successive Government starting with the Thatcher Government who used it as a vote winner. This needn’t have been so disastrous in itself but funding constraints then meant the stock wasn’t replaced.

• Much of the housing available is not used to provide secure homes but is either left empty as a way to invest money often of dubious origin or as seldom used holiday and second homes, or it is used for overpriced precarious rentals.

There are simple solutions such as building more council houses, enforcing money laundering regulations, requisitioning housing which is not lived in, and applying proper rent and upper pricing controls. As a particular help locally, the new Dorset Council could buy land such as the London Road site and build council housing.

In short we need to make better use of what’s here and prioritise public and affordable housing not build housing which very few people who live locally can afford.

ANN MINTO

Fordington