CPRE South East Region News & Events

The CPRE South East Regional Director, Edward Dawson, works closely with SEERA (the South East England Regional Assembly) and also has good links with SEEDA (the South East England Development Agency) and GOSE (the Government Office for the South East) in order to campaign for CPRE objectives. He is also a member of SEFS (the South East Forum for Sustainability and RAISE (Regional Action and Involvement South East). This work has become increasingly important because planning and other decisions are now being made at regional rather than local council level.

New Report on Water Resources

The South East could face a shortfall of one billion litres a day in drinkable water if we do not do more to conserve and recycle supplies. The Government and the water companies have not woken up to the new realities of water supply. These are the conclusions of a CPRE South East report written by hydrologist Graham Warren. Read the press release or the full 65-page report (PDF: 2.85Mb).

Update on other work of CPRE South East

A new Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS) is being agreed which is replacing the existing Regional Planning Guidance (RPG9). The review will provide up to date long-term regionally specific spatial policies for the South East region within the context of the Sustainable Development Framework, adopted in 2001. CPRE is already making contributions and the RSS will aim to:

Develop a sub-regional dimension to policies in planning guidance
Assess the implications of changes to governmental policies and to the key spatial planning issues facing the South East since RPG9
Take account of the South East Social Inclusion Statement and other key regional strategies such as the Regional Economic Strategy, the Regional Housing Strategy and the Regional Cultural Strategy
Provide a framework for longer-term development in the existing regional growth areas of Ashford, Milton Keynes and the Thames Gateway

The following sections show some highlights of our regional work

Regional partners

Seat taken on Regional Assembly and key strategy advisory bodies
Invited to advise GOSE on selection criteria for members of SEEDA Board
CPRE co-sponsor and contributor to Regional Water Conference and report
Lead taken on water resources constraints in regard to RPG review

Housing

Case for retaining greenfield sites while ensuring sufficient housing available
Monitoring density and design as part of PPG3 advice to councils
Policies to ensure affordable housing is provided in a sustainable manner
Contributions to Urban Housing Capacity studies to ensure consistency

Urban economic policy

CPRE Regional Director appointed to Regional Design Panel of 30 members
CPRE joins Task Group on sustainable development of Thames Gateway
CPRE persuades SEEDA to avoid promoting greenfield sites on its website
Project team on the Sustainable Development Framework
Major submission to RES judged by SEEDA as best of over 400 responses