THE Minister responsible for championing the North-East at the heart of Government has joined the growing criticism of a controversial planning strategy for the region.

Nick Brown MP, appointed Minister for the North-East by Gordon Brown, said he would not be recommending the Regional Spatial Strategy to the Government in its present form.

The strategy has come under increasing cross-party attack amid claims it would stifle the region's economic growth, particularly with regard to plans to limit housebuilding and restrict the growth of prestige development sites, such as NetPark, in Sedgefield, County Durham.

Mr Brown, the MP for Newcastle East and Wallsend, said he had sympathy with the criticisms levied by a growing number of his backbench colleagues.

Mr Brown said: "The Spatial Strategy has gone down very badly with the region's MPs from all parties.

"Their views are clear and coherent and share the same criticism, that the document is over-proscriptive and far too harsh on the counties of Northumberland and Durham. I have to say I have a lot of sympathy with that view.

"I will not be recommending it to the Government in its current form -the views of the region's MPs are very important to me and not one of them is supporting it."

The strategy, which will govern development in the region over the next 15 years, was drawn up by the North-East Assembly and revised by planning inspectors and the Government, changes which critics say have dramatically watered down the vision of the original version.

The Northern Echo launched its Shaping the Future campaign, calling on the Government to rethink the strategy, which puts thousands of much-needed jobs in jeopardy.

Campaigners have drawn heart from Gordon Brown's recent emphasis on building affordable homes.

Nick Brown said: "The big issue which the region's MPs have with the Spatial Strategy is on housing, which is unhelpful to County Durham and Northumberland. I also want to see just how the strategy sits with what the Prime Minister has just said regarding affordable homes."

Assembly facing axe - Page 19