Reading David Gargrave’s letter to the Dorset Echo.

I entirely agree with his excellent letter (18 February ‘Planning Failure’ )

From my home in Orchard Street I can see to the North of Dorchester - the water meadows and Hardy Country.

Over the many years I have lived here I have enjoyed the changing scene of the water meadows and pasture land.

But over the last few years I have witnessed dramatic change, the meadows now flood regularly.

So much so that I look over large lakes of flooded fields, and the water remains high for much longer, even the Frome allotments now flood, and people lose their vegetables.

I find it upsetting that in the face of climate change our planners - those in Government and those who serve in Public Office are planning a new build of 4000 houses, an urban sprawl across the Dorset agricultural landscape, described as a ‘garden village’ and fundamentally flawed planning.

This is the ruination of soil, the destruction of our food security, the loss of soil carbon storage and prevention of flooding.

Britain is running out of farmland for food.

Agriculture was traditionally the major industry of Dorset and in the face of climate change our rural countryside has to be valued before anything else.

Stephen Brissenden

Dorchester