St Helens District Group

 

A Crucial Time for St Helen's Countryside

Although called Lancashire CPRE, the Merseyside District of St Helens is within the boundary of old Lancashire or the 'County Palatine'.

 

Environmental Characteristics of St Helens District

(a) St Helens canal linking town and country areas,

(b) the Borough's greenspace,

(c) 50% of the Borough is countryside which includes large areas of high quality agricultural land and heritage landscape.

 

Environmental problems

(a) the extent and concentration of derelict and vacant land,

(b) the generally poor quality of the built environment,

(c) a shortage of trees and woodland,

(d) conflict between residential areas and other activities, eg noise and pollution.

 

What is CPRE's role in land use issues?

St Helens Council produce a UDP (Unitary Development Plan) which is the blueprint for all development in the local countryside.

Every ten years or so the Plan is reviewed and CPRE are consulted on documents produced by the Council. Members of the public are also able to make comment from the earliest stages in the process.

The new UDP will supersede all previous planning documents for the Borough and will take into account

• current national and regional policies,
• Strategic Planning Guidance issued by the Secretary of State for the Environment,
• the resources likely to be available.

 

Don't delay - get in Early

Its hard to believe that of an industrial town of 170,000 people living in 13,900 hectares of land only 161 organisations and individuals made any response when the last Plan was put on deposit.

It is too late to respond when the diggers roll up - you must lobby councillors and personally respond to issues and land use which will ultimately affect your community.

CPRE can help you ask the right questions to save your countryside from the concrete. Join CPRE here to add weight to our campaigns.

 

Top of page