CAMPAIGNERS have hit back at proposed Government changes to rural planning policies, warning they could leave the Yorkshire Wolds open to “massive urban sprawl”.

Steve Hey, the head of the influential No To Wolds Wind Farm group, was speaking after the Government’s draft National Planning Policy Framework appeared to remove the previous formal acknowledgement that the countryside was inherently special.

Mr Hey said the changes could mean developers were given a “default yes” to build in natural beauty spots, such as The Wolds, which do not enjoy green belt or Area Of Outstanding Natural Beauty status.

He said: “Everything has its place and we believe the Yorkshire Wolds is not the place for major development. We believe we need to make the decision-makers think long and hard as to what they are doing. The Yorkshire Wolds bring lots of money to the region through tourism.”

No To Wolds Wind Farm is currently battling to have the region of East Yorkshire officially recognised as an Area Of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and said the campaign has now become more urgent.

Mr Hey said: “The more work which goes on in the Yorkshire Wolds will stop it becoming an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty because its beauty will be destroyed before it even gets there.”

According to the Campaign For The Protection Of Rural England, and as reported in The Press, the Wolds is the most threatened area in the country and local politicians could be left powerless to resist major housing development.

The area, despite coming to recent national prominence thanks to the paintings of world-famous artist David Hockney, has no official protection from development and the CPRE said if any local council could not show it had enough land earmarked for housing for six years, then it could struggle to block housing plans.

It is also feared the Government’s move could threaten areas around York, where much of the green belt will be undefined until a local plan is adopted while areas of riverbank west of Knaresborough may also be in danger.