AGM 2009 Report:
2026 Plan - Campaigning à la carte

Campaigning à la carte

This was the theme of the Chairman, John Venning's review. He highlighted some of the many campaigns and successes on a variety of fronts:

• South Downs National Park - "the outstanding achievement of the year" - succeeding in refuting the planning inspectors arguments to drop 25% of the initially planned area (including the Western Weald) from the proposed national park; it got grass roots support which in turn influenced initially doubtful councils to put their weight behind the campaign: "a classic piece of campaigning and it worked"
• Planning - the need to influence the new Local Planning Development frameworks; CPRE's approach of preferring development on brownfield sites, close to existing settlements
• Housing - providing arguments that rebutted the need simply to add new housing as a driver of economic growth, and not providing appropriate infrastructure before large-scale developments
• Transport - pushing for more efficient and sustainable transport; encouraging less car use and seeking improvements in public transport
• Renewable Energy - fine, if it's appropriately located; but two large turbines in the new South Downs national park are out of place and the saving in carbon emissions is roughly equivalent to one week of flying a 747 aircraft
• Litter - he highlighted the successful national campaign and the launch in Hampshire of the schools' action kit.

To encourage more volunteers, rather than people feeling over-committed to supporting a wide range of activities, CPRE Hampshire is now offering 'campaigning à la carte'. He said that much could be done via email and those who espouse a particular cause can contribute directly. The list of campaign opportunities was published in Hampshire Views and would be updated on this website.

Structures Change but the Issues Remain

Ed Dawson, CPRE South East Regional Director, reported on the South East Plan and changes to regional planning structures. After years of development the South East Plan was finally approved. Housing number target of 32,700 over 20 years was lower than that originally proposed and the word 'minimum' was removed from the equation. The Thames Basin heath Zone now has significant protection, but green belt policies for Oxford and Guildford were to be reviewed. Interestingly, gas and electricity consumption in the South East is declining. Also in decline - cause unknown - are the species of birds in woodland and farmland (which is stable for England as a whole).

He described how the Regional Assembly has been replaced by a Regional Partnership Board, who in future are custodians of the Plan. Detailed work will be done within a single regional strategy (rather than a mix of spatial strategies, economic strategies, housing strategies as currently.

His bottom line was "The issues (of housing growth, protecting and improving the landscape, sustainability) remain, even if the policy structures have changed."

Making Our Countryside Better

The key note talk of the meeting was the background to CPRE's newly announced 2026 – A Vision for the Countryside . Chief Executive Shaun Spears highlighted some of the process and thoughts that went into formulating the vision:

• The need for partnership on specific issues with like-minded organisations working together
• The need to be positive: quite often there are percpetions that CPRE is against development, but he reminded us that...
• Our mission incorporates improvement as well as protection
• The wide range of consultation that took place, and work groups of staff and volunteers

The net result is a vision that covers six main themes - changing attitudes, better planning, new life in the countryside, food and farming, changing landscapes and green energy. All of these come together in a virtuous circle.

This page last updated 20th May 2009