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The Threats to England's Green and Pleasant
Land
This was the title of a talk by Kate Parmiter,
Director, Council for the Protection of Rural England, at the
Surrey branch AGM to mark CPRE's 75th anniversary. CPRE have
identified key areas that pose serious threats to the future
of our countryside.
Housing
70% of Surrey is green belt land. Projected house building targets
cannot be achieved without encroaching on the green belt. CPRE
is pressing for local authorities to conduct Urban Capacity Studies
to identify brown field sites for future new homes. The Government
can encourage development in less congested regions by investing
in skills training for areas with high unemployment and relocating
some civil servants.
Traffic
Traffic levels are increasing twice as fast on rural roads compared
to urban areas. CPRE is disappointed that the Government is concentrating
on traffic congestion, rather than reducing traffic levels. A
decision on the Hastings bypass is anxiously awaited. This road
would threaten the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
and slice through 7 Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Approval
would open the way to controversial road building across the
country.
Farming
Global market forces, compounded by foot and mouth, are posing
a serious threat to the future of traditional farming and the
landscape of the countryside. CPRE believe that major reform
of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is overdue but it will
be difficult for all member countries come to an agreement. Currently,
only 5% of the CAP quota goes into the England Rural Development
Plan but, under EU rules, this could be increased to a maximum
of 20%.
Planning
CPRE is preparing to launch a major campaign when the White Paper
on the review of the planning system is published. The fact that
it was announced by the Chancellor reinforces CPRE's fears that
these will be radical proposals based on sweeping away restraints
and supporting economic growth at all cost.
Political Landscape
Since the General Election there has been a major restructuring
of the Government Departments that relate to the countryside
with the formation of the Department of Transport, Local Government
& the Regions (DTLR) and the Department for Environment,
Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). CPRE is pleased that farming
and environment are now under a single Department and that an
independent commission will look at the relationship between
farming, tourism and an economic sustainable future for the countryside.
However, CPRE is worried by the separation of Transport from
Environment, especially with regard to new road building.
Most of us visit the countryside from time
to time and take it all for granted. The remaining rural landscape
in the South East has largely survived because of the green belt
policy and stringent planning regulations. It seems that the
policies that have protected the countryside for the past 50
years are now, themselves, threatened.
Lionel Gibb
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