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Proposed Poole Bridge

Let me begin by—according to tradition, but none the less genuinely—congratulating the hon. Member for Poole (Mr. Syms) on securing such a timely debate. I was a Poole borough councillor between 1986 and 2003, so a large part of my political life has been spent discussing the need for a new Poole bridge. We are very proud in our town that Poole is a beautiful place, and we find that people tell us that again and again; but it is not so beautiful when the whole town comes to a standstill. Obviously, that is very harmful to the local economy, to people wanting to use our port and to the tourist trade. It is therefore important that we bring this long-standing debate to a conclusion. My attention has been drawn to an article in our local paper, the Daily Echo, on 7 January 1998. I was mayor of Poole at the time, and the article says:""Cllr Brooke, as First Citizen of Poole, was today (7 Jan 1998) the first person to sign a petition to the Government stressing the need for the new Harbour crossing.""Cllr Brooke added: 'It is important for us to keep momentum going on the bridge campaign.'"" The idea for that petition came from a Conservative councillor, and it was presented to Parliament by the hon. Member for Poole. I mention that as it is important to stress the cross-party nature of this project. The reason for that broad support is that it is a very important project. I cannot describe how excited I was when I visited the Department for Transport shortly after I was first elected as an MP in 2001 or 2002 and heard the announcement that we had obtained a grant of £14.14 million. After such a long period of trying to find a way forward—and of trying, basically, to unite our town—I was over the moon. There is widespread concern at present, however, because there is a fear that this could all come to a halt. The uncertainty itself is damaging, and we need a positive answer as soon as possible. Over the years, the need for the bridge has been clearly demonstrated, so that cannot be in doubt. However, the project has changed direction from being primarily about transport to being a very important contribution to economic regeneration. That change was proposed, in part at least, by this Labour Government, which makes the project even more of a cross-party objective, and serves to highlight again that we are all working together on the same agenda. I should also stress once more that the reason for this cross-party support is that it is such an important project. The Government's agenda is to provide many more homes in the next 20 years, and it is important to appreciate that the regeneration area would provide 40 per cent. of Poole's homes over the next 20 years as specified in the regional spatial strategy. If the project were not proceeded with, therefore, the pressure on the green belt in my constituency would be incredibly great. Furthermore, this location is where the homes should be; they should be within walking distance of the town centre. This is an excellent project, therefore, and we should also consider the business that will be created, and the water activities. This will be a major project for the whole of the south-west; it will be important not only for Poole's economy, but for the economy of the entire south-west.