Tory leadership hopeful David Davis saw for himself the devastating impact thousands of new homes could have on the Sussex countryside.
Mr Davis went to the top of Ditchling Beacon to take in a view of the Weald which could be dramatically changed by Government plans for more than 720,000 new homes to be built in the South-East over the next 20 years.
He said the Conservatives would scrap Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott's house-building targets and protect the Green Belt.
Mr Davis was rallying support in Sussex on Saturday for his bid to beat David Cameron in the race to lead the Conservatives into the next election.
He went to Eastbourne before moving on to Ditchling and then Burgess Hill to speak to grassroots members who will vote next month on who should take over from Michael Howard.
Mr Davis told them: "Mr Prescott's housing policy amounts to bulldozing homes in northern towns and cities while concreting over large parts of the countryside in the South.
"If he gets his way, New Labour will build 26 towns the size of Slough on England's green fields."
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