REGIONAL planners should guard the goose that lays the golden egg - its rich landscape - as they try to boost the economy of Northern England.

The Campaign to Protect Rural England says plans to boost economic growth need to include measures to protect the countryside from steadily increasing disfigurement.

It was commenting on the Northern Way, a new strand in the Government's strategy to create sustainable communities through generating greater economic prosperity.

Gill Graham, regional policy officer for Yorkshire and Humberside, said on Wednesday: "The success of the Northern Way proposals will depend strongly on securing the future quality of the physical environment of Northern England.

"The countryside in the North is a vital asset to the economy, attracting investment from new businesses and bringing quality of life to the people who live here."

Work by the regional development agencies, regional assemblies and government departments is under way to translate the ideas behind the initiative into proposals

As part of a Communities Not Concrete campaign, the CPRE will measure progress on the concept against eight key sustainability objectives to ensure that the proposals are delivered in a way that boosts urban renewal, protects the countryside and improves quality of life.

The CPRE says the North should make best use of the transport corridors such as the East and West Coast main lines and trans-Pennine rail routes, the rich network of waterways and the M62, M1, A1M and M6.

It also includes "the ordinary landscape", urging that the integrity and beauty of the urban fringes, community forests and local nature reserves within and alongside potential growth corridors were not sacrificed in the relentless pursuit of short-term economic gain.

It was a chance for decision-makers to pursue strategies that secured prosperity while reducing the need for car travel and road haulage.