DORSET Council’s leader Spencer Flower says he “makes no apology” over the authority’s interest in a flagship investment zone for the area.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer announced, on September 23, proposals that would see 38 sites across the country become 'low-tax, high-investment zones'.

Included on the list of proposed sites was Weymouth with further details on what such a zone would entail remaining relatively scant.

Cllr Flower spoke briefly on the matter at the beginning of a Cabinet meeting yesterday.

He began the meeting by saying the council had received a letter over the weekend from the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities asking the council to confirm an expression of interest by October 14.

Cllr Flower said: "I make no apology confirming Dorset Council's interest in anything that might be to the interest of Dorset. As I've said many times, I'm an advocate for Dorset not an apologist for Government."

In response to a question from Cllr Brian Heatley, Cllr Flower said: "This expression of interest does not represent any formal commitment at this point in time by either Government or Dorset Council.

"Indeed I would expect to see more detail about the potential benefits of an Investment Zone for Dorset before we could make any formal commitment."

He added that he and, portfolio holder for economic growth, assets and property, Cllr Tony Ferrari would "wish to assess the potential benefits and downsides of any investment zone."

The comments come just a few days after the RSPB launched a campaign calling the proposed investment zones "an unnecessary attack on nature"; the organisation warned proposed liberalisation to planning regulations could damage areas of natural beauty.

Richard Drax, MP for South Dorset, spoke in Parliament to warmly welcome the proposals for his constituency but told the Echo: "As no investment zone area has been chosen yet, it would be premature to raise concerns about the implications for nature."

In his Echo column West Dorset MP Chris Loder said: "I was bemused at what appears to have been a knee-jerk reaction to the prospect of an Investment Zone in Dorset from some organisations such as the RSPB and the National Trust.

"The RSPB (is) going so far as to proclaim the plan as an ‘attack on nature’ which could not be further from reality - there is no suggestion that this would impact the environmental protections afforded by our Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and were strengthened in the Environment Act only months ago."

Announcing the plans, the Chancellor said: “We will liberalise planning rules in specified agreed sites, releasing land and accelerating development.

“And we will cut taxes, with businesses in designated sites enjoying the benefit of generous tax reliefs”.