New homes eroding green belt 'at fastest rate for 20 years'

Campaign to Protect Rural England accuses councils of altering boundaries and the government of facilitating the process

The number of houses planned for England's green belt has risen to 275,000, nearly 200,000 more than four years ago, making a mockery of government pledges to protect the countryside, a report says.

The Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) says the number of planned homes on the green belt has increased by 55,000 in a year, with the area around London and the West Midlands under particular threat.