The loss of traditional field boundaries, such as hedgerows and dry stone walls, is East Midland people's top concern about their region's countryside, according to a major survey.

The Campaign to Protect Rural England{1} has canvassed the views of nearly 7,000 people across the country{2}, including almost 400 in the East Midlands.

NOTES FOR EDITORS
CPRE county branches across the country are celebrating Great Landscapes Week from Saturday 19 June to Sunday 27 June, organising a variety of events to highlight the beauty, tranquillity and diversity of our threatened countryside.

Using a postcard-sized survey form, it asked them to name the three critical features of their countryside which they were most worried we are losing.

In the East Midlands, the top concern was the decline of hedgerows, hedge banks and dry stone walls. This decline can be caused by neglect, or by farmers changing from traditional methods of dividing up their land. 34 per cent of the 396 people from the region who completed the survey listed it among their top three worries.

Very close behind in the rural concern stakes came the loss of working farms resulting from an increasing decline in the numbers of farmers and farmworkers.

The countryside feature people from each county in the East Midlands are most worried about losing is given in the Notes to Editors below{3}.

CPRE rural affairs campaigner Ian Woodhurst said: 'The survey demonstrates how important traditional field boundaries are to the landscape and people of the East Midlands. CPRE has campaigned for many years for reform{4} of the old Common Agricultural Policy, which encouraged intensive agricultural practices and over-production that had devastating consequences for our landscapes and wildlife.

'It is essential, now that agricultural payments are no longer tied to production, that a substantial proportion of the money paid to farmers goes towards restoring the character of our landscapes and the biodiversity they sustain.'

Ian concluded: 'We need to ensure farmers have the long term funding they need to farm in a way that produces clear public benefits from public money.'

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NOTES FOR EDITORS

1. CPRE exists to promote the beauty, tranquillity and diversity of rural England by encouraging the sustainable use of land and other natural resources in town and country. We promote positive solutions for the long-term future of the countryside to ensure change values its natural and built environment. Our Patron is Her Majesty The Queen. We have 59,000 supporters, a branch in every county, nine regional groups, over 200 local groups and a national office in London. CPRE is a powerful combination of effective local action and strong national campaigning. Our President is Sir Max Hastings.

2. Across England as a whole, our survey – distributed by local volunteers and featured on our website – found the single largest concern was the loss of working farms. Of the 6,893 respondents, 2,398 (35 per cent) listed this as one of their top concerns out of 15 rural features whose loss might be worrying them. The list of 15 was: hedges, hedge banks and stone walls; flower rich meadows; woodlands; clean rivers; ancient trees; ponds and wetlands; working farms; farm animals in the fields; historic monuments; local building styles; quiet lanes; footpaths; dark night skies; rural trades; local foods.

3. The results by county were:

4. In June 2003 agreement was reached by European Union member states to reform the CAP. Receipt of subsidies is no longer dependent on producing a crop. Breaking the link between subsidies and crop production is known as 'decoupling'. Farmers must observe a number of European Directives and keep land in good agricultural and environmental condition. These obligations are known as cross compliance. The Rural Development Regulation was introduced as part of the CAP reforms known as Agenda 2000. This diverted, or modulated, a proportion of funds into rural development programmes. In England the England Rural Development Programme (ERDP) encompasses a suite of schemes, including agri-environment schemes, that promote sustainable farming and rural development.