CPRE's campaign is a wake-up call for the Government. They are saying loud and clear that whatever their original intentions, the reformed planning system is not working.
Local people are being disregarded, open countryside is being developed while suitable brownfield land is left unused, and still too few homes are being built. They have evidence from across England that the effects of current policies on the countryside are devastating, with the Green Belt, protected areas and, above all, our 'ordinary' but hugely valued countryside, destroyed or threatened with destruction.
The CPRE's latest research into adopted and emerging Local Plans shows at least 500,000 new homes are planned for greenfield sites. This could result in the loss of 150sq Km of irreplaceable countryside. Once it's gone, it's gone forever. Destruction on this scale is totally unnecessary when there are enough suitable brownfield sites for around 1.5 million homes.
