Shadow environment secretary John Redwood told delegates at the Conservative conference in Blackpool that he would give people more say in planning developments in their communities.

Mr Redwood criticised the government's housing policies as creating "mass migration, out of their northern heartlands, out of the cities, into the south east".

He urged Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott to re-think the housing strategy that he said would lead the open countryside of the south east being invaded by "bricks and mortar".

A Tory government would change planning policy, giving "more power to local communities over their future", Mr Redwood continued.

John Redwood: "The south east is suffering"

He said: "Where an area is over-developed and enjoying economic prosperity, we will allow councils to halt housing development on large green field sites.

"They will be able to say their schools are full, their roads are busy enough, so their green fields should be spared."

The Tories would enable local people to "decide what is best for their area".

Councils would be encouraged to develop regeneration schemes for brownfield sites, Mr Redwood continued.

"The south east is suffering from the consequences of too much growth, some other parts of the UK from not enough. It's time to balance things up," he told delegates.

Mr Redwood also criticised the government's transport policies, saying: "Labour only has one transport policy - trampling on the motorist."

He added: "We, the public, have paid for the roads. Now the government dares to say we cannot use them.

"John Prescott's idea of a good transport system is one where most of us are priced or forced off the road, leaving them free for New Labour's cronies."

The Conservatives would give the motorist a "fairer deal", ending "penal petrol taxes" and abandon congestion taxes and parking taxes.

Mr Redwood also offered his deepest sympathies to the families of the bereaved and those injured in Tuesday's Paddington rail crash.

Mr Redwood's Wokingham constituency is near to Reading, where many of those travelling on one of the trains involved in the crash were commuting from.