PPS 21 Sustainable Development in the Countryside·Page 19·5.7
Control of Single Dwellings in Countryside
Strict controls over new housing development in the countryside are necessary to prevent unsustainable cumulative impacts such as suburban sprawl, habitat loss, and adverse water quality effects, though exceptions are made to meet rural community needs including for farmers.
The continuation of these development trends in the countryside is now judged to represent a significant threat to the environment and therefore is considered to be unsustainable. For this reason, strict controls over new housing development in the countryside is considered necessary with a number of exceptions to meet the needs of the rural community, including farmers, both socially and economically.
Source — /Users/richardhill/Documents/planning-arch-project/data/documents/regional/PPS 21 - Sustainable Development in the Countryside.pdf