The coalition’s plans to end garden grabbing and scrap house building density targets will lead to more development on greenfield land, planners have said.

On Wednesday, minister for decentralisation Greg Clark is expected to announce the abolishing of Labour-introduced minimum targets for the amount of housing in a given area and the planning law that makes gardens brownfield sites.

The Planning Officers Society says this means “if its garden grabbing out, then it may be countryside grabbing in”.

A spokesman for the body, which represents senior planners, said: “This may mean greater pressure on green belt land, contrary to the coalition Government’s stated objective.

“But if green belts are to be sacrosanct then an even greater pressure on countryside greenfield sites may be the result.”

Today, the Centre for Cities has published a report urging the government to encourage the development of urban areas through introducing planning rules for building on greenfield sites.

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