Description:Housebuilding in Britain's Countryside examines the controversial issue of whether looser planning controls are necessary in order to provide affordable housing or whether we should protect the countryside from urban encroachment. The book also examines the effect of government policies on this issue and the reshaping of the rural economy and character. Mark Shucksmith, an acknowledged authority on rural housing, addresses both sides of the debate in depth. He starts by outlining the policies which have shaped the issue and presents a framework from which to approach the subject. He then examines, from an analytical perspective, the conflict of objectives underlying countryside policy. This book is the most up-to-date and comprehensive discussion of rural housing available, and will be relevant reading for researchers and teachers in geography, planning and land management, agriculture, sociology, and housing studies, as well as for policy makers and professionals.