Campaigners fear green field sites will be built on

by political editor Paul Francis

Sweeping reforms of the planning system could see more homes being built on Kent’s countryside, campaigners have warned.

But Greg Clarke, the Kent MP and planning minister in charge of the shake-up, says the accusations are nonsense and the changes will protect the environment and put the brake on sprawling out-of-town development.

The government is consulting on far-reaching changes to planning rules which will mean that economic growth will be the key factor in determining whether applications should be granted.

Campaigners fear the changes will lead to developers targetting green field sites, which are generally easier and cheaper to build on.

Figures show that over the last ten years, nearly 38,000 homes in the county were built on previously-developed land - known as brownfield - with 17,320 built on greenfield sites.

Only Ashford and Swale saw more homes built on greenfield sites than other land over that period.

As part of the government’s changes, targets for building homes on previously developed land are to be scrapped.

Sean Spire, of the Campaign for Protection of Rural England (CPRE), said: "Although they say protected landscapes, like Green Belts and AONBs, will still be protected, and that is to be welcomed, it seems it is open season for the rest of the countryside, including some of our finest agricultural land.

"But with their crude focus on economic growth and default ‘yes’ to development, ministers are storing up plenty of unintended consequences for the future."

Greg Clark insisted the reforms - the most radical for 50 years - would safeguard the countryside and would help address affordable housing shortages in rural areas.

"The CPRE is plain wrong. The suggestion that this will lead to urban sprawl is completely the opposite to what is proposed.

"We are maintaining the protection of the Green Belt which will stop that happening."

"Some people suggested that we relax the restraints on the green belt and that is important to Kent."

He added that the government was creating a new right for communities to designate sites in their areas as valued green space - meaning it would have the same protection as green belt land.

According to an analysis by Kent County Council, 73 per cent of all new homes built in 2009-10 were on brownfield sites - above the 60 per cent guideline set by the government.

But in Ashford, more homes were built on greenfield sites than anywhere else in the county, with 4,732 compared to 1,172 on brownfield.

And in a sign of the impact of the recession on the housing market, 4,086 homes were built last year in Kent - the fewest number since the previous recession in the mid 1990s.

You can read the consultation on the changes to the planning system here:http://bit.ly/qASSYR.