MP for Bournemouth East, Tobias Ellwood has pledged his determination to stop plans to build around 20,000 new homes in Bournemouth.

On Friday Mr Ellwood will speak at the South West Regional Assembly at Devon County Council. Top of the agenda will be the 'South West Regional Spatial Strategy' and the planned development of a staggering 44,600 new homes in South East Dorset.

Mr Ellwood is adamant that such high levels of urban development would wreck Greenbelt land and risk destabilizing the economy and infrastructure of local communities.

Commenting on his campaign against the development Mr Ellwood said:

"Whilst there is a need to provide more affordable housing, concreting over the last remnants of our Greenbelt is not the answer. If these plans are approved we would see new housing sprawling either side of the Wessex Way and working its way up to the Airport. Development on this scale will seriously aggravate the traffic problems we already have in Bournemouth.

I want to ensure that decisions about Bournemouth's future are made by people here in Bournemouth. Regional Assemblies across the country are accumulating power from local councils. The SWRA does not primarily represent Bournemouth's interests - if it did we would not now be facing the threat of around 20,000 new homes on our doorsteps. It should not be the responsibility of this bureaucratic and undemocratic body to make these decisions on Bournemouth's behalf."

Mr Ellwood has resolved to defend the interests of local people and argues that the town's appeal relies on the attractive countryside and coastline that surround it. He will be lobbying the SWRA to put the concerns of Bournemouth residents first and ensure that Greenbelt land is not destroyed by urban sprawl.