AT a packed public meeting in Scotforth on Tuesday evening local people backed Lancaster MP Hilton Dawson's call to stop new building on greenfield sites.

More than 70 local residents filled Scotforth Unitarian Church voicing opposition to commercial housing development in the area, particular the huge Lancaster south development of more than 1,000 houses earmarked for Scotforth.

Said Hilton: "The changes that this Government has made in planning law, allowing local people to input into the process, must be exploited.

"This is a new opportunity to influence the big decisions on housing planning. We've already had a good response to these meetings and following them.

"It's clear that people are keen to seize the chance to protect areas of natural beauty or environmental sensitivity and to halt development."

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