Rural advocates fear greenfield sites are under threat

The Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) warned that plans for up to 90,000 new homes in the Harlow-Stansted-Cambridge corridor could cover the countryside with urban sprawl over a 30-year-period.

A public consultation is drawing to close on the proposals for the wider South East which carry forward the Government's Sustainable Communities Plan, aimed at providing more affordable housing to meet a high demand.

The growth area encompasses Northamptonshire, Cambridgeshire, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire, Essex, London and Kent.

'Continuous suburban swathe'

Henry Oliver, CPRE head of planning, said: "Growth on this scale could engulf many of our most beautiful and historic towns and villages and the countryside around them.

"Places like Thaxted, Elsenham, Epping, Great Dunmow and Saffron Walden could become part of a continuous suburban swathe of housing, business parks, new roads and airport runways from Harlow in the south to Duxford in the north.

"It's vital that local people stand up and make their voices heard, both now and in the months to come."

Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott told the House of Commons there is potential for 200,000 more houses in the region.

When the detailed plans were unveiled in July, supporters such as the Prince's Trust and the Council of Mortgage Lenders came forward to praise Mr Prescott's efforts to address a shortage of affordable housing in the region.