by political editor Paul Francis

Campaigners have welcomed government concessions over a planning shake-up they feared could lead to swathes of the Kent countryside being built on.

The planning minister and Kent MP Greg Clark unveiled proposals that have watered down many of the initial recommendations of the government’s draft planning policy framework - the guidelines planners will have to follow when deciding where development should be permitted.

The shake-up still includes a presumption in favour of sustainable development.

But councils will now have to balance the economic growth interest against the environmental and social aspects - something campaign groups welcomed.

And policies such as those protecting the Green Belt, sites of special scientific interest, national parks and other areas could not “be overridden by the presumption”.

The new version of the government’s blueprint also incorporates a recognition of the “intrinsic character and beauty of the countryside” and says planners must take account of that when deciding applications.

There is also greater protection for playing fields and other recreational land, with a requirement that development can only be permitted where it will be replaced by similar or better provision locally.

The planning minister Greg Clark said: “The new framework has been strengthened by the responses to the consultation. We have confirmed the core reforms, sharpened the definition of the policies, and emphasised the essential balance that the planning system must achieve.”

“These reforms will help build the homes the next generation needs, it will let businesses expand and create jobs, and it will conserve what we hold dear in our matchless countryside and the fabric of our history.”

Jamie Weir, of the Kent branch of the Campaign for The Protection of Rural England said: “It does seem the government has listened to our concerns. Although it remains a pro-growth planning system, a lot of the issues have been taken off the table and the emphasis on growth moderated.”

In a statement, the national CPRE said: “We are pleased with the direction of travel on several of our key priorities, including the recognition of the value of undesignated countryside, the definition of sustainable development and the explicit acknowledgement that use of brownfield land is a core planning objective.

"Ultimately, however, the proof of the new policy framework will be how it works in practice.”