According to the reports, Boles spoke this week at a reception hosted by Savills where he said that the Government wants to "expand the number of things you can do without having to ask for planning permission".
Boles said that the Government was looking for "more liberalisations" in line with recent relaxations on rules for home extensions and office-to-residential conversions, which he said do not "fundamentally change the planning system". He added that he was prepared for an "acrimonious battle with countryside campaigners".
The Minister said he believed the announcement in this week's Budget that the Government will consult on relaxing rules for change of use from certain agricultural or retail uses to residential use "might end up being quite significant".
He indicated that plans to make it easier to turn commercial premises into residential homes would be implemented by 30 May.
The comments by Boles follow the announcement by the Government in January that it would introduce new permitted development rights to allow offices to be converted into homes without planning permission. Last year it launched a consultation on proposals to relax the rules for home extensions.
