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Winter 2019 Fieldwork Fracking ban hailed as a significant Inside this issue step in tackling the climate crisis Support for new ‘national landscapes’ p3 PRE, the countryside charity, new scientific analysis from the Oil has long argued that fracking and Gas Authority which concluded A manifesto for the Ccould industrialise rural that it is not possible, with current next government p4 England and contribute to the technology, to accurately predict the climate crisis, so we were delighted probability of tremors associated The battle over a historic to join our community and NGO with fracking. The government West Yorkshire view p6 partners in celebrating the announcement stated that fracking 2 November announcement of a would be ‘paused’ until ‘compelling Promoting rural moratorium on the practice with new evidence is provided’, and also exception sites p8 immediate effect. The halt to cited the disturbance caused to fracking comes after a two-year residents living near Cuadrilla’s A new approach to CPRE campaign against government Preston New Road site in Lancashire, housing affordability p12 proposals to ‘fast-track’ shale including a 2.9 magnitude earthquake gas development through the that forced a halt to operations A landmark decision on planning system, thereby removing in August. air quality p13 local people from the decision- CPRE North Yorkshire said: making process. ‘Having campaigned hard against the The latest on our Green Ministers decided that fracking KM8 well in Kirby Misperton [cover Belt campaign p14 will not be allowed to proceed in photo] we welcome and support England following the publication of the view taken by government that Continued on p2 CONTACTS COVER STORY Fieldwork Fracking ban hailed in battle Volume 16, Issue 3 against the climate emergency Editor Continued from p1 Oliver Hilliam [email protected] Contributors fracking is not a suitable method object to the proposals in a joint letter Robert Bamforth, Jo Lavis, for extracting natural gas in the UK.’ published in the Telegraph. We also joined David Johnson, Ketsia Tampo, CPRE South Yorkshire also welcomed forces with Friends of the Earth to poll Amelia Furness. the news but remains vigilant until there Conservative councillors on the proposals, Fieldwork is the newsletter is more clarity on what the moratorium which revealed that 80% of them were of the CPRE The countryside means in reality. They said the decision opposed to the government’s plans. charity, published in April, would not have happened without the An accompanying CPRE campaign action August and November. brave and sustained campaigns led by encouraged 11,000 people to ask their the local communities they worked with council leaders to support the campaign. CPRE is the countryside at Harthill and Woodsetts in Rotherham All of this pressure resulted in two charity that campaigns to and Marsh Lane, near Eckington. CPRE parliamentary debates last year which promote, enhance and protect the countryside for South Yorkshire’s statement continued: saw a packed room of cross-party MPs everyone’s benefit, wherever ‘We are proud to have shared our challenge ministers on the undemocratic they live. planning expertise with them, fought nature of the measures. shoulder to shoulder alongside them ISSN 1744-8905 (Print) ISSN 1744-8913 (Online) at three public inquiries and to have 83% of respondents opposed the worked with Friends of the Earth, move to let fracking applications cut Greenpeace, 38degrees and others out local councils to oppose this insidious new form of fossil fuel. We are clear that, to avert Tackling the climate emergency the worst impacts of climate change on November’s long-awaited announcement our local countryside, fracking has no finally came a week after CPRE welcomed role in our low carbon future.’ a National Audit Office report supporting our warnings that fracking has no CPRE The countryside charity A victory for local communities demonstrable benefit to local people, 5-11 Lavington Street The government also confirmed that it communities and the country at large. London SE1 0NZ would not be taking forward proposed The report also highlighted the lack of T 020 7981 2800 planning reforms for shale gas clarity on who will meet the costs of F 020 7981 2899 [email protected] developments that were consulted on decommissioning wells, and the lack www.cpre.org.uk in 2018. CPRE mobilised thousands of of progress on developing the carbon @CPRE people to respond to the consultations capture and storage technology which as part of our ‘Don’t fast-track fracking’ would be essential for fracking to be Campaign to Protect Rural England is a company limited by campaign, and the results published after compliant with reaching net-zero guarantee, registered in England, the moratorium announcement revealed emissions targets. number 4302973. Registered the extent of our influence, recording charity number 1089685. an unprecedented level of opposition: This is a fantastic win for everyone All the articles and features within this publication are 83% of respondents opposed the move who cares about protecting the copyright of the CPRE and may to make fracking applications go through countryside from climate catastrophe not be reprinted or distributed the Nationally Significant Infrastructure and mass industrialisation without the prior written consent of the publishers. Projects regime, cutting out local councils; while 97.5% opposed permitted Tom Fyans, CPRE’s deputy chief development rights for shale gas executive said: ‘This is a fantastic win exploration which would have removed for local democracy and everyone who the need for planning permission for initial cares about protecting the countryside work. The government’s response to from climate catastrophe and mass the consultations also noted the petition industrialisation. In a state of climate against the plans signed by over 307,000 emergency, the decision to ban new people, with over 200,000 of those names fracking is absolutely essential but CPRE generated by CPRE. urges the next government to go even Our campaign for local democracy further with a range of policies that will saw us team up with 20 organisations to help tackle the climate emergency. 2 Fieldwork Winter 2019 SUCCESSES IN THIS ISSUE Featured Break through contents How volunteers are making a difference Fracking ban hailed in battle against climate emergency p1 A manifesto for the countryside p4 Link road threat to the Chilterns p4 Green Clean 2019 p5 Challenging airport expansion p5 Dates of note p5 Reviewing polytunnels in Herefordshire p6 The battle of Castle Hill p6 Celebrating Shropshire's landscapes p7 Exploring Manchester's Green Belt p7 A Gold Award for a visionary rural community Saving Staffordshire's hedgehogs p7 Following an initial idea by CPRE members York Moors National Park team invited An exemplar development in Ryedale, the Thornton Le Dale Hub was members of the Hub to act as a ‘model’ in Leicestershire p8 set up in 2018 by residents who were for other villages, while the village recently concerned about a gradual decline in both won the Gold Award in the Yorkshire Supporting rural exception sites p8 community-spirit and village amenities. in Bloom competition. Trustees from In the past year, the Hub’s volunteers CPRE North Yorkshire visited during Affordable homes in have organised litter picks, created a preparations for the contest (above), and the Peak District p9 nature trail and sensory community herb were so impressed they are now thinking A garden village for garden, and turned the village pond area of re-establishing their Best Kept Village East Cambs? p10 into a place where residents can enjoy competition to help other parishes in the Parish planning natural beauty and tranquillity. The project county take on similar environmental in Devon p10 has been so successful that the North projects and restore local pride. Intensive poultry farming in Herefordshire p10 Meeting David Johnson Support for new ‘national landscapes’ of CPRE Sussex p11 Enhancing Brighton's CPRE welcomed September’s publication Dorset’s case for the Dorset AONB to be biodiversity p11 of recommendations from an independent made a National Park. Dorset’s spectacular A national design guide p12 review into the future of our National Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site would A new approach to Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural double the extent of coastline represented housing affordability p12 Beauty. Instigated by the government in English National Parks, while our The impact of developments as part of its 25 year environment plan, campaigners believe a Dorset National on air pollution p13 our lobbying influenced the review’s Park would be central to a positive future Abingdon reservoir proposals for improved protections and for the county’s rural environment, returns p13 funding for AONBs, and for every school communities and economy. Meanwhile, pupil to have the chance to visit these CPRE Gloucestershire was pleased Finding brownfield sites special landscapes. that the review endorsed their strong in the Wirral p14 The review was also tasked with argument, made over many years, that Space to breathe in the exploring potential new ‘national the Forest of Dean should be designated Green Belt p14 landscape’ designations, and its as an AONB, with the Cotswolds AONB Reasons to protect our recommendations supported CPRE considered for National Park status. green spaces p16 Winter 2019 Fieldwork 3 OTHER NEWS CAMPAIGN NEWS Greener transport in Oxfordshire CPRE Oxfordshire