Fieldwork
Public attitudes toward the British countryside, housing and the future of the Green Belt.
For 100 years, CPRE has stood up for the countryside — protecting the places people treasure and championing a future where landscapes, nature and communities can thrive.
As we mark our centenary, new national polling conducted by More in Common shows just how deeply that connection runs today. Across Britain, people overwhelmingly value the countryside and want to see it better protected for future generations.
The countryside matters
The research reveals near-universal support for safeguarding our green spaces. Three-quarters of people want protections for the countryside strengthened, 86% back Green Belt protections, and most say being close to the countryside matters more than lower council tax or even access to good schools when choosing where to live. For 91%, the countryside is part of what makes Britain special.
This isn’t nostalgia — it’s shared values across generations. Young people are among the strongest supporters of increased protections, showing that care for the countryside is about the future as much as the past
From legacy to a shared future
For a century, CPRE has helped secure many of the protections people now take for granted — from the first Green Belts and National Parks to stronger planning safeguards and protections for hedgerows and landscapes. But today our finite land faces growing pressures from climate change, nature loss and poorly planned development.
The public mood is clear. People want better choices, not false trade-offs. Most believe we can build the homes we need while still protecting the countryside, with brownfield land and smarter planning offering solutions that work for both people and nature. Support for safeguarding green spaces remains overwhelming across generations and across politics — proof that care for the countryside is something we share.
Our Letter to England
Our centenary polling shows that the public deeply cares about the countryside and green spaces.
But today, the land that sustains us faces growing and unprecedented pressures – from climate change and nature loss to decisions that lead to the needless loss of countryside.
It’s never been more important to protect and improve the countryside and the spaces we love, now and for future generations.
If you share our vision for a beautiful and resilient countryside, sign our Letter to England.
