Green belt land equal to 1,100 football pitches is being concreted over every year under Labour, research published today suggests. Daily Telegraph

The equivalent of a small city has been built on protected rural land since 1997, a report by the Campaign for the Protection of Rural England claims.

Gordon Brown’s plans for new 'eco-towns' also pose a threat to rural areas and could lead to major building work on green belt land, it has emerged.

Research by the CPRE suggests ministers have no respect for the legal safeguards on green belt land.