CPRE has been concerned about the loss of tranquil areas in the countryside for many years. As development has encroached on the countryside areas of tranquility have become rarer, yet people’s need to get away from noise and bustle have not diminished and concern about loss of tranquil areas has grown.

In the West Midlands the most tranquil areas are the Marches of Hereford and Shropshire but there are many other areas where a high degree of tranquility can still be found. Even in our largest cities parks, gardens and open space prove valuable areas of relative tranquility.

These are not only environmental assets. By improving the quality of people’s lives and help ensure the West Midlands is an attractrive place to live, work and visit. Without them we might be poorer in our pockets as well as our souls.

In the past we produced Intrusion Maps which show the impact of new roads, houses and offices over time and the extent to which they have had a negative impact on the openness of the countryside, however, more recently we commissioned Newcastle and Northumberland University to produce more sophisticated tranquility maps based not only the negative impacts but also the positive aspects of tranquility that people really value.

This new tool graphically demonstrates areas of tranquility across the country and the region and we hope will be adopted by national, regional and local decision makers seeking to site development in the right place.

You can read more about the tranquility mapping and see maps of your county at our National website.

You can also see our presentation to the Rural Affairs Forum

12.07.11