No more houses should be built at one of the north's most popular beach resorts until pollution problems are resolved, a Northern Ireland Assembly member has said today.

South Down MLA Jim Wells has called for all planning applications in Newcastle to be refused until standards improve.

Last year the town failed European bathing water regulations, and failed Europe's Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive in 2006.

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Mr Wells claimed the rapid development of the town had overwhelmed sewerage infrastructure capacity and urged the planning service to reject 15 current proposed developments.

"An immediate moratorium will provide Northern Ireland Water with the time it needs to carry out the difficult and expensive task of upgrading the entire system," he said.

"All of these and any future proposals should be refused as it will be 2011 at the earliest before the situation will be resolved.

"The tourist industry is simply far too important to Newcastle to allow what the experts have confirmed to be an unacceptable situation to continue," the politician added.

The Department of the Environment's, Water Management Unit has previously recommended that planning applications be denied.

(VB/JM)