The Campaign to Protect Rural England [1] is set to elect Peter Waine [2] as the charity’s new Chairman at its AGM today (Thursday).  Peter, former Chairman of both the Tree Council and Brogdale Horticultural Trust, will serve for a six year term.

His nomination comes as demands on the English countryside are greater than ever in the face of the Government’s house-building target, competing demands for both food production and biofuels, and rural communities affected by declining services.  Combined with climate change and demands for new transport and energy infrastructure, these all add up to a major agenda for change over the coming years.

Outgoing CPRE Chairman, Sir Nigel Thompson said:

‘Peter is devoted to our cause and brings a wide range of business and environmental experience to the job.  We are fortunate indeed that he has agreed to take on this chairmanship.’

Alongside Peter Waine, five Vice Presidents will also be standing for election bringing to the organisation a vast range of expertise and enthusiasm for the organisation. The nominated Vice Presidents are: former Chair of English Heritage Sir Neil Cossons [3], food campaigner Lady Caroline Cranbrook [4], writer and TV presenter Nicholas Crane [5], broadcaster Jonathan Dimbleby [6] and environmentalist Ben Goldsmith [7].

Commenting on his nomination, Peter Waine said:

‘I am honoured that CPRE is asking me to take on the role of national Chairman and am delighted to have the opportunity to lead our members, dedicated volunteers and staff.  The next six years will present many critical challenges for those who love our countryside.  It is really crucial for the legacy that we will leave future generations that the right decisions are taken now.  It is a huge privilege to be leading CPRE at this time.’

Peter said he would press for CPRE to:

• be bold in championing the value of the English countryside with national and local government, regional decision-makers and the wider public;

• recruit more members and active volunteers, with an emphasis on recruiting younger members.

He will also be helping CPRE take forward its 20:26 Vision for the Countryside [8], to build a new consensus on the kind of countryside CPRE would like to hand on to future generations, as the organisation moves to its centenary in 2026.

At today’s meeting, held in London, representatives from CPRE’s 43 county branches and 8 regional groups will also be addressed by CPRE’s President and author Bill Bryson.

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NOTES FOR EDITORS

1. CPRE, the Campaign to Protect Rural England, is a charity which promotes the beauty, tranquillity and diversity of rural England. We advocate positive solutions for the long-term future of the countryside. Founded in 1926, we have 60,000 supporters and a branch in every county. President: Bill Bryson. Patron: Her Majesty The Queen. www.cpre.org.uk

2. Peter Waine will become CPRE’s Chairman at today’s AGM subject to election having been put forward at the recommendation of CPRE’s Nominations Committee and Board.

Peter Waine has served as Chairman of both the Tree Council and Brogdale Horticultural Trust. In 1979, he co-founded the London Ecology Centre, an organisation that brought together a number of smaller conservation groups to share good practice. Peter’s wider charitable experience includes being a Trustee of the Royal Opera House, and a member of the International Cricket Council (ICC). He was a former Parliamentary candidate, a former Deputy Chairman of the Bow Group and a local councillor. Peter co-founded Hanson Green, the principal source for non-executive directorships in the UK. He is visiting professor at both Warwick and Cass Business Schools and has written three books on corporate governance.

3. Sir Neil Cossons has been successively Director of Ironbridge Gorge Museum, the National Maritime Museum and the Science Museum.  In 2000 he was appointed Chairman of English Heritage, completing his term of office in 2007.  Since the beginning of 2007 he has been Chairman of Council at the Royal College of Art.  He was awarded an OBE in 1982 for his pioneering work at Ironbridge Gorge and was knighted in 1994. 

4. Caroline Cranbrook is a food campaigner and President of the Suffolk branch of the Country Land and Business Association.  Since 1997 she has undertaken research into the interdependence of the various elements of the local food chain and the benefits that this local food economy brings to the consumer and the landscape.  Her work has been published by CPRE as Food Webs in 1998 and The Real Choice in 2006. 

5. Nicholas Crane is an explorer, writer and broadcaster.  Most recently he has written and presented two television series for BBC2: Coast and Great British Journeys. 

6. Jonathan Dimbleby is one of Britain’s best known broadcasters.  Jonathan was President of the Campaign to Protect Rural England from 1992 to 1997 when he was appointed an honorary Vice President. He is a past President of RSPB and the Soil Association. He is also President of Voluntary Service Overseas.

7. Ben Goldsmith is a founding partner of WHEB Ventures Limited, a venture capital fund that invests in clean technologies.  He is on the advisory board of the JMG Foundation which disburses grants to a range of environmental advocacy groups, and founded the Manuka Club which supports grass roots environmental campaign groups around the UK.

8. CPRE launched its vision debate with a speech by the then Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, David Miliband, in 2007. Our discussion pamphlet 20:26 Vision: What future for the countryside? published earlier this year contains a provocative paper Towards a vision for the countryside which set out one possible future to stimulate debate within CPRE and with the public (see summary at: http://cpredebates.files.wordpress.com/2008/02/towards-a-2026-vision.pdf). Most recently David Cameron addressed CPRE’s Annual Lecture on this subject (see: http://cpredebates.wordpress.com/annual-lecture-2008/).