A KENT MP has defended government plans for a massive increase in house-building amid renewed fears of growing urban sprawl across parts of Kent.

Gordon Brown has announced that he wants to build three million homes by 2020. That is 250,000 more than currently envisaged to try to solve the housing crisis. While it is unclear how many of those are to be earmarked for Kent, the prospect of even more homes being built has alarmed countryside campaigners, council chiefs and MPs.

They fear the plan means the government is poised to rip up current house-building targets set out in the South East Plan. A public inquiry into that is expected to report back in September.

But Kent Labour MP and newly-appointed minister for the south east Jonathan Shaw insisted the Government plans would not jeopardises the county’s countryside.

The Chatham and Aylesford MP said: “I have always accepted that there is balance to be struck between protecting the countryside and building the homes that are needed.

"We do need to do this in a sensitive way. However, there is a growing consensus among all the main political parties that we do need more affordable homes. This is not a question of us concreting all over the place; it is a question of us ensuring that there are enough homes for everyone. The government wants to work in partnership with local communities.”

There are also claims that money needed for roads, schools and other infrastructure in the key growth areas of Ashford and north Kent will now have to be spread across other parts of the county.

Sean Furey, deputy director of Kent CPRE, said: "We are massively concerned about the impact on the countryside and whether it is deliverable.

"I cannot see how it can be done on top of the growth that is already proposed for Kent in terms of the upfront public investment that will be needed. Our worry is that environmental quality and the protection afforded by green belt policies will be severely weakened."

The Prime Minister said he planned to protect green belt land robustly but unveiled a Bill to speed up the planning process.

Ashford MP Damian Green accused the government of tearing up the house-building targets for Kent.

"We have just spent two years agreeing those targets for the South East Plan and Mr Brown has effectively torn them up without any consultation.The country needs to learn the lessons from Ashford, namely that you need to put in place the infrastructure at the right time otherwise you will forever play catch-up."

He added: "My fear is that this extra demand for growth will mean resources for the infrastructure we need will be now have to be spread much more thinly and Ashford will inevitably lose out."

Kent County Council leader Cllr Paul Carter said: "It is not just about homes, but the communities that live in them. We need further funding from government to ensure the right infrastructure, such as improved roads and rail networks and better community facilities such as hospitals, are in place to support this growth."