IN our comparatively small, densely populated country there are very good reasons why development needs to be planned and controlled.

No-one wants all kinds of eyesores to be built willy- nilly without consideration for surrounding countryside.

England is known and recognised throughout the world for its rolling green hills and picturesque villages – not massively overbuilt, ugly and polluted towns that blight some countries where regulation is limited.

But in recent years, some have complained with justification that tight guidelines are stifling sensible development and turning some rural areas into places where only the wealthy can afford to buy homes.

The government’s newly-announced guidelines, which favour sustainable house building and will apparently relax greenbelt restrictions, may help solve some problems and boost the economy.

But it is important that they do not open the floodgates and allow developers to throw up estates and ruin beautiful landscapes.

It is also vital that genuine communities are not destroyed by a huge influx of new residents when insufficient provision has been made for extra traffic and the need for basic services like sewerage and schooling.