Sustainable development campaigners have warned the Government its decisions to scrap housing density targets and remove gardens from the brownfield definition risks environmental disaster.
Removal of residential density standards and an effective ban on redevelopment of residential sites is likely to bring a massive increase in pressure for greenfield sprawl.
"One of the biggest, yet unsung, environmental successes of recent years has been the regeneration of many of our urban areas, which has also saved vast swathes of countryside from unnecessary development," said Campaign to Protect Rural England chief executive Shaun Spiers.
"Brownfield targets and density standards have been instrumental in protecting valuable countryside, preventing urban sprawl and regenerating inner cities. To make these changes now could undermine the sustainable use of land and leave the English countryside under the threat of sprawling new development."
The move is at odds with the new Government's other decision to scrap regional strategies because they have been used to promote housing sprawl.
The day before Mr Clark's statement, planning minister Bob Neill told the Commons that RSSs had been a source of "top down" pressure to remove green belt protection and their removal would strengthen the position of planning authorities.
"We support powers being returned to local people and many of the new Governments proposals for planning," said Mr Spiers.
"But it is essential to have a robust national policy framework which gives a clear steer that development should be focused on brownfield land and that this should be used efficiently. By stripping out this guidance Ministers risk a policy vacuum that puts our countryside at risk."
The move has also been condemned by the Planning Officers' Society which said "garden grabbing out" would mean "countryside grabbing in".
"This may mean greater pressure on green belt land, contrary to the Government's stated objective," it said.
"But if green belts are to be sacrosanct then an even greater pressure on greenfield sites may be the result."
The move was, however, welcomed by the Town & Country Planning Association which said it would help with climate change.
