Save our countryside

[Kayleigh]

please sign this to stop the Government from relaxing the planning laws..

38 Degrees | Save our countryside

[htcdude]

Have signed

Nige

[Deb London]

Yes, I don't like this one bit.

[DorsetDunk]

signed

i remember a builder who told me why bother to try and save the countryside after all we will all continue to breed and need housing. England will end up a concrete jungle no matter how hard you fight against it

the fact is he right and we will be fighting district against district to save green spaces and it will be based on public usage of the area rather then its wildlife status

unless we change our ways its a grim future for the countryside

[Sneezewort]

Signed too.

I think it's important to keep letting our politicians know just how much we value our green spaces.

Julie

[SheffieldLass]

I don't like the planning relaxations either. I think the people who will benefit will be the already wealthy landowners who will make sure that their own immediate surroundings are not degraded whilst pocketing huge gains when their agricultural value land gains development land values.

The planning relaxations are only likely to work for the benefit of communities if there is very minimal financial gain to be made by the land changing from agricultural/greenbelt to development land, possibly by applying huge taxes on the capital gains, or by restricting it to affordable development. I doubt if either will be proposed by this government, though Only then would development be driven by real need, not be speculation.

However in recent years there has been too much focus on developing urban brownfield sites, which are often far more valuable and may indeed be vital refuges for wildlife than degraded agricultural land. So there isn't an easy solution to providing more housing. But getting many of the second homes back as proper primary homes would be a good place to start And getting jobs to the areas where there is housing is another ...

I don't have a problem with people retiring to the countryside - there aren't that many jobs in the countryside (but just as long as there is adequate affordable housing for those who work in very low waged rural jobs). It frees up housing in the urban areas, where most jobs are.

[eeyore]

Can I suggest while we are protesting that everyone also signs the National Trust petition here National Trust | Planning

[Kayleigh]

Originally Posted by eeyore

Can I suggest while we are protesting that everyone also signs the National Trust petition here National Trust | Planning

Signed and shared on FB..

[PMG]

Originally Posted by eeyore

Can I suggest while we are protesting that everyone also signs the National Trust petition here National Trust | Planning

Read with interest this morning and signed - lets hope enough people can see the wood for the trees - this government must be the worst in living memory for undermining any sort of protection for anything let alone the countryside. Mr Pickles and his henchmen should not be allowed within a million miles of planning regulations as they appear to have no moral regard for what is right and proper.

[Fungalpunk]

The concrete cancer pours forth due to ignorance and the power of the pound - if we get out there and share our wildlife knowledge with others then hopefully more will realise what we are in danger of losing. Not everyone wants to be a naturalist but if we can show people the beauty and encourage a little respect then the job is small but successful. The spiral continues downwards so get out there and show a friend a flower or two, the joys of a slug or snail, the character of a woodlouse, the workmanship of the fungal world, etc. etc. It matters!

Fungalpunk Dave - Fungalpunk Home Page

An enthusiastic peddlar of noise and nature