COMMUNITY leaders have made a blistering attack on the government's decision to "call in" a scheme which would have provided many homes for those on low incomes.

And North Dorset District councillors are calling on their colleagues across the county to join in their condemnation.

NDDC leader David Whitehead got unanimous support for a motion deploring the Secretary of State's decision to decide himself on whether Shaftesbury should get 700 long-planned-for new houses.

The motion also expressed dismay that the government's emerging Regional Spatial Strategy is already being quoted by John Prescott as if it were an adopted document when it's still only at the consultative stage.

It stressed the huge amount of consultation which had gone into the two schemes - its adoption in the local plan, the public inquiry and the planning by design exercise involving local people.

Cllr Whitehead said: "This was going to provide 180 affordable houses, the top priority for Dorset .

"It's a disaster for Dorset and a disaster for Shaftesbury.

"I just hope the rest of Dorset will join in fighting this particular fight."

Cllr David Milsted, leader of the LibDem group, said the call-in made a nonsense of the entire planning process.

Affordable housing was crucial for an area whose wages are 24 per cent below the national average and where house prices were high, he said.

"The Government of the South West Region has just called a meeting to discuss ways in which we can meet the affordable housing need," Cllr Milsted said.

"One way would be not to call in things like this. Everything about this call-in stinks.

"It just does dirt on the community planning process and it's a body blow to the efforts of the council.

"Why are we bothering to do all the work and stand up for North Dorset when it's a done deal?

"It's an insult to local democracy, to local communities and to local people. The whole thing is sickening."

First published: November 3, 2005