A LONG-awaited report indicating how many thousands of new homes will have to be built in Dorset over the next two decades is due to be published today.

The report - the result of a 10 week examination of the draft Regional Spatial Strategy - is being anxiously awaited by councillors, campaigners, developers and planners.

Many communities will be desperately hoping their bid to exclude green belt land from future development plans has been successful.

Bournemouth councillors fought hard to keep their house-building figures down and would be devastated to be told they have to build on green belt land at the north of the borough.

But other more rural communities in North Dorset feared they were on course for a housing shortfall and had to fight to increase their house-building targets.

The draft strategy commits Dorset to building up to 2,780 new homes every year from now until 2026.

Most of these - between 680 and 780 a year - are due to be built in Bournemouth, with Poole expected to provide between 450 and 500.

Christchurch has an annual allocation of 165 to 180, East Dorset of 270, North Dorset of 255 and Purbeck of 105. The remaining 690 homes will be built in Weymouth and Portland.

Today's report is the result of 10 weeks' examination of the draft strategy by an independent panel appointed by the government.

It will summarise the various debates from the public hearing and, if necessary, make recommendations to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Ruth Kelly.

She will then publish her proposed changes in spring 2008, and there will be a second bout of public consultation.

The final RSS will then be published in the autumn.