CPRE (Campaign to Protect Rural England)

Letter in support of Campaign to Protect Rural England manifesto

4th March 2010

Dear Mr Watts

Thank you so much for taking the time to contact me about the CPRE manifesto. Protection, enhancement and fully appropriate and sustainable development of the English countryside are so important, both for those who live in the country and those who live in towns. Clearly you are absolutely right about the problems created by inappropriate and excessive development, neglect and mismanagement.

I am personally very happy to support all the points you have raised, and I am pleased to say that the Liberal Democrats as a national party are fully in support too. I'd like to set out some of the party's policies at national level which are designed to make progress on each of your three issues.

Clear support for a strong, democratic planning system

Planning policy has gone badly wrong under Labour. The plan to hand spatial planning over to unelected economic development agencies will still further decrease the ability of local people to determine where new developments should be sited. An area of Green Belt the size of Birmingham is at imminent risk of being lost - with huge consequences for amenity, biodiversity, carbon emissions and local food production. The Government's Regional Spatial Strategies no longer distinguish between brownfield and greenfield sites since Labour abolished their own "sequential test". Developers are now making a beeline for cheaper, large greenfield sites on the edge of existing towns, instead of much needed urban regeneration. And the spaces on the edge of towns are often the most treasured green spaces of all - right next to where townspeople live. The LibDems will return planning decisions to local control, abolish the Infrastructure Planning Commission and regional housing targets, and will use environmental capacity as the key guidance for identifying sites for development.

Protection of our best landscapes and the wider countryside

Everyone needs green space close to home. The Liberal Democrats will ensure that everyone has access to the countryside and that local people have control over it by insisting on Natural England's Natural Green Space standards being incorporated into Local Development Frameworks. We will also create a new designation-similar to Sights of Specific Scientific Interest status-to protect green areas of particular importance or value to the community. Local residents within the National Parks often feel removed from the democratic process and unable to challenge decisions made by the parks committees. The LibDems believe that the people who live and work in the national park area should be properly represented on the park authority. We will introduce partial direct elections for National Parks to provide greater accountability for decision making, but to also raise awareness of the issues that affect these areas of outstanding beauty.

Action to tackle the rising tide of litter and fly-tipping

Litter is five times worse now than in the 1960s and is particularly acute in rural areas where litter is often left to lie for much longer. LibDems believe in tough action on litter, not just cleaning up the mess but preventing it in the first place. We will encourage local councils to fine offenders by releasing the money raised to be spent on measures to improve the local environment. Surveys show that something as simple as providing more bins can dramatically reduce littering. We will also tackle litter at source by reducing packaging. By investigating bottle and can deposit schemes we may also be able to motivate people to return their containers.

Thank you again for your interest in the general election and your efforts in helping to preserve the countryside.

Sincerely

Chris Bramall (prospective Liberal Democrat candidate, Stourbridge constituency)

P.S. To comply with election law I need to add my agent's official imprint:

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Published and promoted by Simon Hanson on behalf of the Stourbridge Liberal Democrats,

both at 53 Chawn Hill, Stourbridge, West Midlands, DY9 7JA