What our countryside and green spaces need from the new government
With a new government in power, CPRE has produced its own manifesto to help focus on the crucial issues impacting our countryside and green spaces.
We are calling on government – working in partnership with local authorities and other key players – to urgently deliver on the following priority issues:
- tackling the climate emergency – the government must commit to ambitious measures to reach net zero emissions by 2045 through implementing changes to farming practices, the balance of our energy supply and by promoting energy efficiency in homes;
- ensuring a countryside for all of us – our countryside and green spaces must be a source of wellbeing for everyone. The government must improve access to green spaces especially for children and those who do not currently have access as well as helping create a litter free future with an ‘all-in’ Deposit Return Scheme for cans and bottles;
- planning for communities – the planning system is one of local democracy’s most powerful and effective tools. The government must support a well-resourced planning system that empowers communities and promotes development that responds to their needs. Green Belt should be protected and a ‘brownfield first’ policy committed to; and
- creating thriving rural communities – the government should commit to provide genuinely affordable homes and infrastructure, both digital and actual, such as rural transport that connects communities to employment opportunities and vital public services.
We stand ready to work with the new government and all relevant stakeholders to achieve these vital changes.
Please do write to your local MP urging them to support these issues.