William Shaw
Madeleine's Brighton Marathon: Give generously!
This year Madeleine Voice is running the 2013 Brighton Marathon in memory of Nic Packwood, a much missed stalwart of the Campaign For the Protection of Rural England.
She'll be raising money for CPRE Sussex.
On the justgiving.com website Madeleine says: "I know that he would be so pleased that I have chosen this as my charity.... Please sponsor me to run the marathon so that I can raise money and do something to make Nic (Andrea and Holli) proud!" It's a brilliant thing to do and we're extremely proud to have her running on our behalf – and Nic's.
Please support her doing this fantastic – and tough – race. Donate here!
What future for Sussex under central government planning reforms?
CPRE Sussex Futureproofing Conference 23 March
Saturday 23rd March will see Nick Herbert MP for Arundel and the South Downs talk to Sussex residents about his vision for good planning and the future of the Sussex countryside.
Futureproofing Sussex, an event being held by the Campaign to Protect Rural England (Sussex) is a chance to hear expert debate on how government planning reforms will affect the Sussex countryside. Other speakers include Neil Sinden, CPRE Director of Policy and Campaigns and Georgia Wrighton, Director of CPRE Sussex.
The event comes at a crucial time for local planning authorities as the ‘grace’ period which allows Councils to put Local Plans in place before central government policy takes over, is coming to an end. April 2013 sees a critical period in the way that planning principles are applied.
The event coincides with the release of the CPRE national report ‘Countryside Promises: Planning realities’ which analyses the way that the government’s planning framework, the National Planning Policy Framework has been applied one year on. The emerging evidence raises significant concerns about whether the reformed planning system is capable of securing the development the community needs and preventing damaging schemes in the wrong locations.
The report highlights that the views of local communities are being overruled time and time again, with major new housing developments being allowed to sprawl across precious countryside.
Georgia Wrighton, Director of CPRE Sussex said:
“From this Spring, local authorities who don’t have a Local Plan in place will find their decision making powers to decide on development proposals in a perilous state. If their plans don’t have legal force by April, central government dictat will take over and local voices to determine the future of their area will be severely weakened.
We call on the government to extend the period for Councils to put their Plans in place rather than effectively vetoing the proper local democratic planning process.”
Hashtag: #futureproofing13
Is this really the plan?
Monday 18 March 2013
First anniversary of planning reforms finds less local control and more greenfield development.
A major analysis by the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) of how the Government’s National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) is being implemented during its first year is published this week. The emerging evidence raises significant concerns about whether the reformed planning system is capable of securing development the country needs and preventing damaging schemes in the wrong locations.
Environment and conservation leaders in major show of strength at Hastings road protest
28 January 2013
On Sunday 27 January, heads and senior staff representing Friends of the Earth, Wildlife Trusts, Greenpeace, Campaign for Better Transport, RSPB and Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) visited the Combe Haven valley, site of the planned Bexhill to Hastings Link Road. It was a major show of strength from major figures from the UK's leading conservation charities, all of whom were objecting to the controversial road scheme which will destroy one of Sussex's beauty spots and cut through important wildlife habitats.
Major environment and conservation leaders protest at Combe Haven
Sunday 27 January
On Sunday 27 January, senior staff from six major environment and conservation groups will visit the Combe Haven valley, site of the planned Bexhill to Hastings Link Road.
The heads of Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth, The Wildlife Trusts and the Campaign for Better Transport will join with senior colleagues from RSPB and Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) to see first-hand the area threatened by the planned road and the impact contractors works have already caused. They will also meet protestors taking part in the high profile campaign against its construction and highlight the impacts and threats from the Government's forthcoming roads strategy.
Bexhill-Hastings road protestors face eviction
16 January 2013
Police and bailiffs have been evicting protesters from the two remaining protestor's camps in Sussex where activists have gathered to to the construction of the £93.8m Bexhill to Hastings link road. Combe Haven Defenders reported two arrests this afternoon.
A statement on the Combe Haven Defenders website this morning reads:
Opponents of the Bexhill-Hastings Link Road (BHLR) are defending trees and occupying tunnels at their main protest camp in Crowhurst. Security guards and bailiffs, supported by police, began attempts to evict the camp at 8am today. The main camp, which has been in place since 21 December, is located on the proposed route of the BHLR close to Adam’s Farm, Crowhurst.
Further trees on route are occupied by protestors at nearby “Decoy Camp”. The peaceful protests against the road– which have now been running for a month, with 12 arrests – have seized national attention over the past week.
Tree-felling work for the road started on 14 December 2012 and represents the first significant work on the highly-controversial £100m road, one of over forty “zombie roads” that were declared dead years ago but have now been resuscitated as part of as part of Britain’s largest road-building programme in 25 years.
CPRE Sussex raised the question of the controversial Bexhill-Hastings Link Road with transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin when he spoke at the CPRE annual lecture in November 2012.
Challenging him on the need for the new road, CPRE Sussex director Georgia Wrighton asked him: “Why is the Government funding the Bexhill-Hastings link road when the Department for Transport declared it poor value for money, East Sussex County Council failed to adequately explore alternatives and when convincing evidence of its benefits had not been provided?”. McLoughlin didn't comment directly on the Bexhill-Hastings Link Road, but answered, "Decisions on road schemes will always be controversial,
we do it because the government think there are benefits to roads in some cases."
Combe Haven Defenders on Facebook
Futureproofing: Spring Conference 2013
You are invited to attend:
FUTUREPROOFING
CPRE Sussex Countryside Trust
Spring Conference 2013
Saturday, March 23, 2013
9:30 AM -2:00 PM
Good planning must leave us with a living countryside for Sussex, putting people and the environment at the heart of decision making. We must get the balance right. The real costs of getting it wrong will be borne by future generations as our dysfunctional legacy. Do we want this? Can we plan to avoid it?
VENUE
Ropetackle Arts Centre, Shoreham-By-Sea.
Horsham District Council: house building targets "excessive"
13 December 2012
In a letter to the Mid-Sussex Times, CPRE Sussex representative Dr Roger Smith challenges the presumption of Horsham District Council’s Cabinet that it must adopt a house building target for the District that is equal to or greater than that set by the South East Plan
CPRE Sussex Review Winter 2012
National Planning Policy Framework, Fracking, the Bexhill-Hastings Link Road, Gatwick Airport... all this and more discussed in depth in the Winter Edition of the CPRE Sussex Review Winter 2012.
The Review is our quarterly magazine sent out to members. Download a free PDF below.
Emergency action: Protect the countryside
30 November 2012
We’re really worried by the Planning Minister’s latest announcement that he wants to increase England's built up area by a third.
This could equate to building over every square inch of a county the size of Devon.
We need your help to persuade the Government that this isn’t necessary – please write to your MP today.
