Region suffers growing pains

The region's green image is under threat

The flow of people moving to the South West region must be slowed down to protect the environment and quality of life, says a new report.

It says the number of people moving to the region from the Midlands and South East each year is equal to the population of a new town the size of Taunton.

The report says these people are threatening the very qualities that attract them to the region - which stretches from Wiltshire and Gloucestershire to Land's End.

The findings are due to be presented to a South West regional meeting of the Environment Agency on Thursday.

Fields are vanishing under new homes

The report by the Regional Environment Policy Committee says efforts must be made to stem the population drift, which is forcing up house prices.

Richard Austin, the report's author, said: "Every additional person that moves into the South West makes all the environmental problems harder to solve.

"Each person moving in wants a house, which means more greenfield land being taken up.

"Each wants running water in the taps, and a car, and to chuck the rubbish away.

"Clearly there is very little one can actually do to stop it."

The number of outsiders moving in has led to high house prices - in a region with low average incomes.

Mr Austin criticised "speculative house builders who build houses to meet local need and then advertise them in Birmingham".

He also suggested discouraging companies from recruiting skilled workers from elsewhere, rather than improving the skills of local people.

The report calls on the Regional Development Agency to avoid any action that would encourage new migrants.