Val and Terry have a point in that life in Spain is based on individual experience. We for example have friends living here who have no intention of even visiting the UK if they can help it, whilst we have other friends who like us are debating a return to the UK.
One aspect from the highly interesting postings is the aspect of good fortune. This seems to play a great part in whether or not you successfully settle in Spain. We know of several cases where despite people's best intentions including a great deal of detailed research and seeking independent professional advice, things have gone wrong which clearly leaves a bad taste and can affect your ability to settle here.
The point is Terry and Val are correct. The ambiguities surrounding buying and living in the campo are not  readily apparent as mentioned. Even well established friends who have lived here for a number of years have been caught out. Not by doing anything deliberatly illegal or for that matter ignorance of the planning laws. It is more a case of interpretation of the legislation rather than deliberate breaches.
We are dealing with a situation which is constantly changing and until the new legislation and subsequent amendments are bedded in, difficulties and misunderstandings will arise. The fact is as Terry and Val have pointed out that the authorities are not doing anything at estate agency level in order to clarify the current position. We are aware that people are still being hood winked into purchasing fincas etc. without the correct information. A friend of ours who is a property locator was horrified recently whilst attending a completion signing when the notary nonchalantly challenged her solicitor's request to have a fairly modest entry contained in the escritura with the comment "look, the land is in the campo. Does it matter?". This is just one example of even at a legal level of professional incompetence. If our friend had not been so aware this could have resulted in yet another purchase subsequently going bad.
This could all be so easily controlled by the insistence that a Informe Urbanistico is attached to every escritura informing people upfront exactly what they are buying with regards to future use/planning.
Thereafter if individuals choose to flout the information then they clearly only have themselves to blame. But there is little doubt that the current bewildering and confused manner in which fincas and land in the campo are being sold will continue to result in the usual steady stream of misinformed and therefore disadvantaged purchasers.
This is not good for Spain, it is not good for Spain's reputation and it clearly is a disaster for the victims.

Kind regards
Gary