HillerBee
I don't believe you are any more or less likely to have an accident if training on an airfield or any other big open space (although you would hope the likelyhood of encountering any FOD would be reduced on an airfield). What you do have is a much greater chance of somebody noticing and doing something about it which must surely improve the overall safety of the operation.
For once (perhaps once only) its quite a sensible precaution to train almost entirely on an airfield for the near ground stuff, I do think we should be able to carry off airfield landings during PPL training to the ground to anywhere which would usually be legal, its a bit daft to be allowed to do so on qualification and not have had the opportunity (officially) during training.
I do however think you are right about the future of GA unfortunately
GS