COMMENTS made by Morecambe MP Sir Mark Lennox Boyd surrounding the future of housing in the town have outraged city councillors. Sir Mark spoke out last week after receiving a 1,000 strong petition from a group still campaigning to save the Altham Road meadow on Westgate. The site was earmarked for development by the council last year. The MP criticised targets set for the building of council houses in the area saying too many will lead to over-crowding, a slump in the housing market and the loss of open space.

But now he could be left with egg on his face with councillors pointing out that those targets were actually set by the Government not Lancaster City Council. Cllr Ian Barker, the council's deputy leader, said: "To say these targets originate from the city council is misleading the public. It was a Government inspector who set the target.

"For Sir Mark to attack the council over these targets shows complete ignorance of his own Government's policy.

"The city council can't alter these housing targets although it has to allocate land to meet them in the District Plan; the Secretary of State for the Environment can. I suggest Sir Mark directs his fire at Mr Gummer if he believes the targets are wrong."

Within the Lancashire Structure Plan, Lancaster City Council has a target of allocating land for 8,300 new homes between 1991 and 2006. A buyer is still being sought for the Altham Road site. Campaigners are fighting to save it from the hands of housing developers and convert it into a park.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.