ABSTRACT
At the beginning of the period covered by this book, the twin concepts of change and planning which are at its heart would have appeared strange to many commentators. The countryside was seen to have as one of its key characteristics a quality of stability and wholesomeness which clearly differentiated it from the ever-changing, unhealthy cities. It followed that to engage in forms of State regulation for the countryside was not only unnecessary but also meaningless. Eighty years on, neither viewpoint has stood the test of time.
