Plan to curb countryside building

21 June 1999

Plan to curb countryside building

THE government could adopt radical plans which would curb housing development in the countryside in favour of the regeneration of urban areas.

Environment minister John Prescott is pressing the treasury for a range of “fiscal incentives” to boost city regeneration and penalise greenfield building.

He is said to be keen to adopt measures set out in the final report of the governments urban task force, led by the architect Lord Rogers of Riverside.

This is expected to unveil a number of measures to discourage greenfield building.

• The Guardian 21/06/99 page 11