Civic planners are urging the government to help halt the current flats explosion in Bournemouth.

In a letter to Hazel Blears MP, secretary of state for communities and local government, the council's head of planning Mike Holmes said: "Members of the planning board have asked me to write to express their strong concerns about the detailed design and layout of flats."

Mr Holmes said members were most concerned about designs incorporating internal kitchens and bathrooms without windows and severe lack of storage space. "From the developers' point of view, the continuing pressure to maximise development on a site favours applications for flats against family housing with its own garden space.

"Members believe that to achieve good family housing, we need tools to achieve lower densities than prevail in the average block of flats," he added.

Planning board chairman, Cllr John Beesley, said space, light, and car parking were being sacrificed by the government's policy of high-density housing. "It's about building high quality homes from high quality materials, rather than rabbit hutches."

"I can't believe Bournemouth is the only authority she's getting letters from. I hope the government takes notice," he said.

The Bournemouth, Poole and Dorset structure plan required Bournemouth to accommodate 12,400 new homes between 1994 and 2011.

But the rise in flats development over the last few years means Bournemouth surpassed the target six months ago.

Principal planning officer Steve Garrett said. "I suspect members will be concerned about the numbers that are being constructed but, on the other hand, we are in the situation where it's very difficult to refuse applications."

There have been fresh warnings that the countryside could come under renewed pressure because of the demand.

The National Housing and Planning Advice Unit, which favours scrapping Green Belt protection, says government plans for three million more houses and flats over the next 12 years will not meet demand.