The Telegraph reports that a survey commissioned by Country Land and Business Association found that laborious planning rules are losing the Conservative Party support in rural areas

Around 12 million voters live in the countryside and England’s rural areas accounting for around 16% of the country’s economy, making them a crucial battleground.

Most of these residents (46%) voted for the Conservative Party in the last election, however the research suggests that this will fall in the next election with Labour’s share of the vote increasing by 36% and the Green Party increasing their share of the vote by 5%.

Reports indicate that odious planning rules are likely to be part of the reason why support for the Conservatives has declined, as the current regime has been criticised to treat the countryside "as a sort of museum", holding back the economy.

Examples include, sensible small-scale housing developments often being rejected out-of-hand and applications to convert disused farm buildings into office or workshop space can often take years, resulting in fewer jobs and a lack of affordable housing, all of which is pushing younger people away.

Full article:

The Telegraph - Laborious planning rules are losing support for the Tories in the countryside