CPRE marks centenary with parliamentary reception at the House of Lords
CPRE marked the start of our centenary year with a parliamentary reception at the House of Lords, bringing together parliamentarians, partners and colleagues from across England to reflect on 100 years of speaking up for the countryside – and to look ahead to what the next century must hold.
Hosted by Baroness Parminter, the evening was both a celebration and a conversation: recognising the countryside’s enduring importance to people’s lives, and the need for long-term, joined-up decisions about land, nature and place.
Opening the reception, Baroness Parminter, a former CEO of CPRE, spoke about CPRE’s legacy as an independent voice for rural England, and the importance of cross-party commitment to protecting and regenerating the countryside at a time of growing pressure on land and nature.
From a government perspective, Baroness Hayman of Ullock, Minister for Biosecurity, Borders and Animal Welfare, reflected on the central role of the countryside in food security, farming and rural economies, and the importance of stewardship and land management in supporting both nature and communities. She also pointed to the strength of public feeling about the countryside, reflected in new national polling launched at the event.
Victoria Atkins, Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, highlighted the need for long-term, evidence-based approaches to planning, housing and nature recovery – and the role organisations like CPRE play in anchoring policy debates in public values and lived experience.
At the heart of the evening was CPRE’s work with local communities. Representatives from 27 CPRE branches, alongside volunteers and young volunteers, filled the room with stories from across the country – hedgerows being restored, energy futures shaped by communities, and new ways of accessing countryside close to home. Project displays, from Hedgerow Heroes to the London Tree Ring and the Greater Manchester Ringway, showed how local knowledge and collective action are helping to protect, restore and reconnect people with countryside close to home.
CPRE President Mary-Ann Ochota and Chief Executive Roger Mortlock then set out CPRE’s story – from its origins a century ago to its role today as a movement rooted in local action and delivering national influence. Drawing on new polling carried out with More in Common, they highlighted the value of public connection to the countryside, consistently strong support for better protection, and a clear appetite for solutions that balance housing, nature and access to green space. They also paid tribute to CPRE’s branches and volunteers, whose work across England continues to shape places and strengthen communities.
The evening closed with a personal and reflective contribution from writer and broadcaster Mariella Frostrup, who spoke about what the countryside means to her – as a source of wellbeing, creativity and belonging – and the power of community action in protecting the places people love.
Together, the evening reinforced a simple but powerful message: the countryside matters deeply to people across England, and there is strong public support for protecting it while addressing national challenges like housing, energy and food security. By bringing policymakers together with communities and volunteers working on the ground, the reception demonstrated how CPRE helps bridge public values and policy – shaping decisions about land, nature and place as it enters its second century.
