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Herefordshire | Shropshire | Staffordshire | Warwickshire | Worcestershire Herefordshire CPRE has had a Branch in Herefordshire for more than 70 years. It is run by volunteers who are dedicated to protecting this most rural of English counties from being spoiled by inappropriate development. We value the peace and tranquillity Herefordshire retains but are all too aware of how easily this can be eroded away, as it has in many other parts of England. We promote positive solutions for the long-term future of the countryside and seek to protect and enhance its valued natural and built environment. In a recent poll members cited an increase in house building and traffic as the two most significant and least liked changes they had witnessed in Herefordshire in the last 10 years. CPRE campaigns continuously on planning and transport issues, locally, countywide, regionally and nationally. Volunteers work with other groups to improve architectural design and building techniques to ensure Herefordshire’s villages retain their reputation for vernacular beauty. CPRE works with other local organisations to prevent development which is inappropriate. We have campaigned vigourously against the proposed route for the new Rotherwas Access Road and against the proposed wind farm on Vagar Hill in the Golden Valley. We submitted a detailed response the UDP [Unitary Development Plan] in which we highlight the need for the Council to have sustainable development at the core the Plan. Shropshire As the Shropshire Branch of this nationally renowned charity we are dedicated to the countryside of Shropshire and of Telford & Wrekin. Our mission is to protect this wonderful landscape so that it will be available for future generations to appreciate and enjoy. We are but temporary custodians and it is our duty to hand it on to future generations so that they too will feel the pleasure and pride of living in, or visiting, Shropshire. We are vigilant for threats that will damage our county and destroy our heritage. The 'blue remembered hills' need, and deserve, our care and protection. CPRE does not oppose change and development but we do need to ensure that, where ever possible, the environment is enhanced by those changes and that they are undertaken with proper care and sensitivity. If you care about Shropshire then CPRE is for you! Staffordshire CPRE Staffordshire
is a registered charity (no. 219443) which exists to promote and encourage
the protection, improvement and preservation of the countryside of Staffordshire
and its towns and villages and the whole of the rural environment. The President of CPRE Staffs. is Mr. James Hawley the Lord Lieutenant of Staffordshire and the Chairman is Mr. J. Roberts. Membership of the Staffordshire Branch is open to all and comes from all over the County. Members are kept up to date on Branch activities by Newsletters issued three times each year and outings and social occasions are arranged so that members may meet and get first hand news of activities. Much of CPRE
work is the examination of and comment on proposed County and Local Plans
and subsequent attendance of the public examination of such plans. All
of this in furtherance of the mission to protect, preserve and enhance
the Staffordshire countryside. In addition Planning Applications are monitored
to ensure that developments are in line with the plans and also follow
Government issued Planning Policy Guidance. Warwickshire Warwickshire is a beautiful county. The landscape is very diverse. It has been known as "leafy Warwickshire" and, despite the devastation by Dutch Elm Disease, the county boasts many trees in woods and hedgerows. Warwickshire is not notably mountainous or hilly but has undulations which can provide commanding views. Burton Dassett hills, Edgehill and Ilmington hill are features in the south. The south of the county is within the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The north has been affected by the impacts of coal mining and quarrying and there are other sites where quarrying has taken place. These are small pockets and the landscape is still of high standard. The county was settled from earliest times and the numerous towns and villages date back well before Domesday. Many of the villages are very attractive and relatively unscathed by modern development. We fight hard to retain this situation. Vernacular architecture is of many types. There are half timbered cottages with white and brick infill; there are stone houses and there are many styles of brick built houses. There are of course many country churches of varying dates and styles. Some have tall spires and some have squat towers. Altogether they are a major feature of villages and towns. In many ways the county is a major crossroads for transport routes. The area is well-served by canals which were built for trade and business but now mainly provide leisure and holiday opportunities. The West Coast railway line passes through Rugby and Coventry. The M1, M6, M40, M45 and M69 provide rapid transit from one part of the county to another. They are scars on the landscape but the noise from them is, perhaps, the major pollution. The area has a number of rivers. The Tame and Blyth in the north and the Avon and the Leam in the south. Land by the rivers was generally the first to be cleared and cultivated by local inhabitants and most of the towns are built on these rivers. Although most of the towns had distinctive industrial developments a major commercial factor in the county has been agriculture. The county has suffered as the fortunes of farming have ebbed and flowed. We have seen the destruction of hedges and the trees within them. But many areas of the county still have the familiar patchwork of fields changing colour and texture through the seasons. We are very well served with public footpaths through the variety of scenery around the area. Many circular walks can be designed, often with a pub or cafe along the way. If you live here we invite you to get out and about and enjoy the county; if you are contemplating a visit then we believe that you will not be disappointed Worcestershire Formed in 1926, CPRE is a powerful combination of effective local action and strong national campaigning. The Worcestershire CPRE Branch exists to promote the aims and objectives of the national organisation within this beautiful county. Our President is Lord Sandys. We have approximately 600 supporters and operate through five district groups: Bromsgrove, Malvern Hills, Redditch, Wychavon and Wyre Forest. We also keep a wathching brief on developments in the city of Worcester, insofar as they may affect the surrounding countryside. Each of the six groups, Bromsgrove, Malvern Hills, Redditch, Worcester City, Wychavon and Wyre Forest, has its own page.
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