CPRE in the urban context

 

Times change and CPRE changes with them. No longer are we concerned purely with the rural scene. In this day and age, it’s impossible to divorce town and country. Each affects the other and there are many issues common to both. Therefore, as part of a deliberate strategy, we have been working hard recently to make inroads into urban areas.

Millions of people work and / or live in towns and cities. Their green space, recreational areas, trees, flowers and wildlife are as precious to them as to the rural dweller. They rely on sound transport strategies as much as rural residents do. Certainly, they also treasure rural areas as a place of solace and renewal from the pace of urban existence.

These are exciting times for the Campaign to Protect Rural England. As a result of Lottery funding we have just embarked on a three year project designed to give local people a real voice in the shaping of their community. People tell us they don’t know how to protect their green spaces from the curse of concrete. They want to decide for themselves where they should live and in what type of housing. They want a cheap, clean and integrated public transport system which caters for everyone, including the disabled. In other words, they want a decent quality of life.

CPRE champions the urban renaissance as a means of giving those who choose to live in towns or cities the means to protect and improve their environment. This pivots on sound planning designed to provide a better quality of life. We are, perhaps, the only national campaigning charity which concerns itself with such a wide spectrum of involvement and makes its expertise available at little or no cost, both by means of help with specific issues and formal training programmes.

You may be surprised that CPRE is involved in these issues, but we train our volunteers free of charge to deliver all these things. We are a national campaigning charity which is respected by government, regional and local authorities. We punch our weight, but without local support, we don’t know where the problems are!

That’s why it’s particularly satisfying to tell you that our two latest District Groups were formed in Rochdale and the City of Manchester. People there have recognised the unique contribution which CPRE can make to their lives and have turned out in support of our common aims. It’s early days, but we hope for great things from these enthusiastic new volunteers, who have much to teach us about the issues faced by those who would fly the flag of CPRE in new situations.

If you want to make a difference, we’ll show you how!!

 

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