It is a basic human need to live, work and rest in pleasant surroundings, and minimising the environmental impact of these surroundings means, for example, that buildings should be used as long as possible. This is environmentally sound; every alteration or new construction impacts on sensitive ecosystems. We have to treat our natural resources sensitively if they are to be available to us in future, and take care that planning and building happens at sustainable levels. Sustainable planning means the integration of town and country, of built structures and landscapes, of local recreation and nature conservation.