Prescott pushes on with plan

John Prescott will force through new homes in the countryside by curbing councils' power to resist, it is claimed today.

The Deputy Prime Minister could restrict the right of local authorities to protect unspoilt areas with conservation status.

The reported move would boost growth of housing and tourism in some of Britain's most rural areas.

Mr Prescott is expected to unveil the planned changes this spring at Labour's rural affairs conference in Manchester.

Environmental campaigners say they could lead to swathes of green fields being concreted over. The Campaign to Protect Rural England called them "a pox on the countryside".

The Tories accused ministers of ignoring residents' concerns. But farmers, business chiefs and the Countryside Agency welcomed the move.

Relaxing planning controls could be the only way to push through Mr Prescott's plan for 1.4 million more homes in London and the South-East by 2016.