COUNCILLORS vowed to form a "battlebus" to fight back against recommendations to build more than 16,000 homes in Bournemouth.

The Local Development Framework Steering Group meeting agreed that a meeting should be arranged with environmental bodies such as English Nature and CPRE, Bournemouth 2026 partners and local MPs to formulate a way to fight back against the Government appointed panel's recommendations.

Councillors had reluctantly proposed to accept 13,600 new properties between now and 2026 with the proviso that the green belt remain untouched.

But the panel recommended that the town accommodate 14,600 new dwellings plus an additional 1,500 on the narrow strip of green belt land at north Bournemouth.

Jenny Carter-White from Planning told the meeting that the council had written to more than 300 developers to ask them what developments they were planning but had received only 20 responses.

She added: "We may have to move to plan b where we as planning officers and development control officers walk the streets looking at maps to find sites suitable for housing."

Cllr Ron Whittaker told the meeting that environmental groups and MPs should be urged to "join us on our battlebus to tell them it's not on".

He added: "Throop could change dramatically. We are not going to just sit back and take it. That's the message worth sending out."

Chairman Cllr Robert Lawton said: "We want to set up a meeting as soon as possible with interested parties. We need to have a plan in place otherwise we are going to be up the canal without a paddle."