What CPRE is doing

Working to protect the countryside – its beauty, peace and quiet, and its character is what CPRE is all about – we’ve put the task at the heart of our mission statement.

The countryside is subject to a wide range of pressures. If uncontrolled these could change its character permanently depriving us and future generations of the chance to experience and enjoy truly rural countryside. To keep intrusion into the countryside to a minimum requires careful thought about the location and nature of development and the relationship between already built up places and new development. The less well planned development is, the more intrusion results.

While many policies are designed individually to protect or at least take account of the wider environment, they can fail when brought together, to provide lasting and effective protection. CPRE campaigns for policy and decision making to be joined up through a strong, evidence based, democratically accountable planning system. This is the essence of effective spatial planning. It should make best use of our land and buildings, add to our quality of life and bring together affordable homes, quality local services and good transport links. By doing this we can protect the remaining countryside.

We campaign on the major influences on the quality of our countryside including:

Planning and the planning system
> Planning system: What CPRE is doing

Housing and urban sprawl
> Housing sprawl: What CPRE is doing

Roads and aviation
> Roads: What CPRE is doing
> Airport expansion: What CPRE is doing

Tranquillity of the countryside
> Tranquillity: What CPRE is doing