Undoubtedly the major activity that CPRE are involved with is the unfolding South East Plan. Our SE Plan pages gives details of CPRE's involvement. But there are other issues, such as planning arrangements, housing density and green belts that are the focus of our Planning Campaign Group. Listed below are articles describing our planning activities, as well as some links to related national CPRE campaigns and other resources. See also the Planning Campaign Scorecard and read about some of our successes.

Current Issues

• Whitehill, Bordon - An Eco-town?. Although a brownfield site and an opportunity to create sorely needed facilities, there remain problems with infrastructure and transport. John Venning airs the pros and cons of this proposed eco-town (May 2009).
  
  
• A Mega-shed Near You. An update on the proposals to develop a large distribution warehouse on the site of Andover airfield, now restyled the Andover Business Park.
  
  
• Proposed Changes to the draft South East Plan. CPRE South East has submitted a comprehensive response to the proposed changes in the South East Plan. It strongly opposes some of the changes, including the planning process, housing requirements, lack of sustainabiity and sub-regional designations. See 1) The overview cover letter (PDF); 2) The full response section by section (86 pages PDF); 3) CPRE Hampshire Press Release.
  
  
• Housing and the South East Plan. CPRE says the latest government proposal for housing in the South East is unsustainable. It is now significantly higher than earlier recommendations of the South East Assembly. See press release (July 2008).
  
  
• Eco-Towns: Not So Eco. The Government plans a number of eco-towns, including a 5,500 home development at Bordon-Whitehill (see press release). Read details of the national campaign at the CPRE national website and learn about our ten tests.
  
  
• Micheldever - proposed new town (PDF). The Dever Society is spearheading opposition to this new town of 12,500 homes. This press release describes how a packed meeting held on 11th December rejected the latest proposals.
  
  
• Andover Business Park (PDF). CPRE's response to the planning application on this former airfield. We object to the enormous warehouse and distribution centre proposed for this site (Sept 2007).
  
  

Planning Frameworks

• CPRE Hampshire Response to Sustainable Planning White Paper (PDF: 5 pages). While welcoming the main thrust for a more responsive and less bureaucratic planning system, there are major concerns about the proposal for Major Infrastructure Projects. Hugh Sheppard states our position "that the proposed reforms fail to strike the necessary balance of interest between economic and other priorities, particularly 'quality of life' aspects." (Sept 2007).
  
  
• Planning: Don't Lose Your Say - Use Your Voice or Lose Your Choice. The CPRE national campaign about the new planning framework. Includes an Action Guide (PDF:375K) for campaigning on the ogvernment's White Paper.
  
  
• CPRE concerns about the proposed new planning system. CPRE lists its concerns on the government's White Paper over infrastructure projects, infringement of the countryside and the threat to wildlife. It has also released a guide on what you can do about it (June 2007).
  
  
• South East Plan Pages. Articles, latest updates and CPRE submissions on the South East Plan (Nov 2006).
  
  
• How Well Do You Know Your Partners?. Janet Mason delves into the acronyms of the government's new planning framework. Learn what VDS, LSP, LDF, LDS, LDD, RSS, SA, SEA, DPD really mean (May 2006).
  
  
• New Planning Arrangements: Are We Losing Out?. John Cooper welcomes some improvements to the planning system but says there is a long way to go to make the new system better (May 2005).
  
  

Housing

• Save Barton Farm. CPRE urges Winchester City Council not to include Barton Farm as a site for a minimum of 2,300 dwellings and associated buildings such as retail outlets, for the 20 year period of the South East Plan.
  
  
• New House Building? It's for the Birds!. First published in The Odiham Society Journal this article by Hugh Sheppard discusses the encroachment of housing close to the Thames Basin Heaths SPA (Special Protection Area) (March 2007). Read the PDF version (550K) as it appeared or the Web version with links.
  
  
• Reserve sites for housing: bane or blessing?. Chris Slattery comments on Hampshire's new policy of allocating reserve sites for housing (May 2006).
  
  
• New policies could erode safeguards. CPRE's housing manifesto calls for any new housing to well designed and located, meet local needs and enhance the local environment (Nov 2005).
  
  
• Housing Supply: The Myth Exposed. CPRE's reaction to Kate Barker's report on housing supply (May 2004).
  
  

Other Topics

• Help us save our green belts. Estelle Taylor from CPRE's national office decribes the threats to green belts on their 50th anniversary (May 2005).
  
  
• The Dibden Bay Terminal Inquiry.. The contribution of CPRE volunteers to a successful outcome to this inquiry that ran from November 2001 to December 2002 (May 2004).
  
  

This page updated 6th June 2009