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CPRE East of England |
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News and Press Releases
27 July 2011
Planning system overhaul "damage" is feared See this item is from the BBC news website.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-14287773 For more information and CPRE's
view, go to
www.cpre.org.uk/magazine/opinion/item/2369-planning-system-under-attack"
25 May 2011
Housing lottery – Local authorities play fast and loose with our
countryside
Countryside campaigners are warning that many local authorities in the
East of England are continuing to push forward plans for green-field
housing. This is in spite of the Coalition removing the last
Government’s shackles of regional housing numbers.
The Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) East of England is
demanding to know why many local authorities continue to allocate land
for housing based on top-down imposed targets - numbers they are no
longer obliged to stick to – that can only be met by ever more of our
tranquil countryside being covered in concrete and tarmac.
Jeremy Hill,
CPRE Regional Director, said: “It is clear that the straight-jacket of
regional housing numbers simply was not sustainable. Now that it is up
to local authorities to determine housing need in their area, we are
relieved that many local authorities are choosing to look again to see
how much housing is needed in their area and how this can be
accommodated sustainably.
“Many local authorities have taken the only sensible decision – to
reduce their housing numbers to a more realistic and sustainable level.
Sadly others have decided to plough on with housing numbers that can
only be met by destroying our countryside.” CPRE is calling on all local authorities to reconsider their housing numbers and to focus on regeneration and building on brown-field sites first; and only as a last as a last resort building on green-fields. Letter published in The Economist 2 April 2011Sir, Regarding Britain, you suggested focusing on
education in poorer parts of the country, but your real remedy for
regional inequalities seemed to be mass migration to the already
heavily built-up south-east region. Your call for an easing
of planning restrictions in the south-east is a familiar refrain, much
as politicians lambast civil servants or tabloids ridicule health and
safety laws. It ignores both the capacity of a given area to
accommodate population sustainably and the very great success of the
planning system in ensuring that people wish to live in all parts of the
country. Surely more thoughtful ways can be devised to help
depressed areas than simply turning off the lights and shutting the
door. Press Release
18 JANUARY 2011
PYLONS: WE
NEED THE WHOLE PICTURE
Countryside campaigners are asking the National
Grid to hold fire on its announcement on overhead power lines in the
heart of
“Only two months ago, the Energy Minister Charles Hendry welcomed these
expert reports which he said would give a clearer picture of the
relative costs and impacts of high voltage overhead lines compared with
undergrounding," said CPRE’s Regional Director, Jeremy Hill, “So it
takes a little understanding why the consultation period should end
before they’re even published. CPRE is calling on the Government to put back the end of its consultation period so the report can help make the Government, National Grid and all those involved, aware of the full facts. By the same token, the campaigners are also asking the National Grid to delay its announcement of its preferred route for the new high power lines. Thursday 24 June 2010
Affordable housing numbers up but success could be at risk from budget cuts, say rural campaigners A recent report by the Homes and Communities Agency confirms that the East of England has seen a 20 percent increase on last year’s total number of housing completions funded via the National Affordable Housing Programme. “CPRE has long been an advocate for well planed and situated development and the increase in affordable housing in the East of England is to be applauded. However, there is still a desperate shortage of affordable housing in the region – an area with some of the most expensive housing in the whole country. The average house price in the region in 2008 was Ł225,967 – still nearly 11 times average regional income. [1] “There remains a huge demand for affordable homes, particularly in rural areas. In these times of austerity and budget cuts CPRE is urging the government to remember this need and to keep funding rural affordable housing. Without this much needed funding, the cost of living in the East of England may prove too high for those who grow up here and want to remain in the countryside they love.” Note to Editors:
THE END OF In launching its plan for a ‘Big Society’ the new coalition government has confirmed that it will abolish Regional Spatial Strategies (essentially regional planning) and will return decision-making powers on housing and planning to local councils. Jeremy Hill, Regional Policy Officer for the Campaign to Protect Rural England in the East of England, said: “Over the last 10 years we have seen central government impose enormous targets for new homes to be built in the East of England – often overriding views of the people who live here and with seemingly limited regard for the environment. We welcome the new government’s commitment to abolish Regional Spatial Strategies and with it centrally imposed and undemocratic targets for house-building in the East of England. At this stage it remains unclear what the new government intends to put in its place. The jury will be out until we see what they come up with but we do believe there is a need for strategic planning across local-authority boundaries to help coordinate – but not impose – development, infrastructure and services. 6 April 2010TIME TO VOTE FOR OUR COUNTRYSIDE The East of England’s new policy officer for the Campaign to Protect Rural England hit the ground running today by calling on all prospective candidates to sign up the CPRE's countryside manifesto. Jeremy Hill, who has worked in property and as a city solicitor, highlighted the many threats being faced by the countryside: I feel passionately about our beautiful countryside in the East of England. I am also very aware of the many threats it faces, from urban sprawl to pollution and climate change, and how we must rise to meet these challenges. Whoever wins the election must not be allowed to forget just how important our countryside is. That’s why all candidates should sign up to our Countryside Manifesto.”
For more information or to arrange interviews: Contact: Jeremy Hill, CPRE East of 16 January 2009GROWTH LEVELS “FRIGHTENING” Countryside campaigners say the new settlements in a study for the East of England Regional Assembly are unnecessary and would cause irreversible damage to the environment. The Campaign to Protect Rural England says the region is pushing for unnecessary growth which would have a far-reaching and extremely damaging impact on the quality of life for those who live and work in the region. Mr Traverse-Healy says any new settlements will need services such as new roads, water, schools, hospitals, all of which will contribute to even greater loss and damage to the countryside. For further information or to arrange interviews, please contact: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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