Planning plays a vital role in protecting the countryside from urban sprawl, in encouraging urban regeneration and improving the quality of new development. CPRE is consulted on the content of the County Structure Plan (soon to be replaced by a Regional Spatial Strategy) and locally the South Oxfordshire Local Development Framework. CPRE resists wherever practicable the “development” of greenfield sites (the proposal to build upwards of a further 3000 houses in and around Didcot in the decade after 2016 and following the 3200 dwellings at Great Western Park, Didcot - another glaring deviation from the policy - we in CPRE favour). It aims to protect existing buildings of architectural and historic importance, such as barns, as well as rights of way and field boundaries of historical and nature conservation value. It is concerned about the development of market towns and with the design of urban buildings, roads and other infrastructural elements.
We review all planning proposals in the area covered by Wallingford District, represent any objections we have to the District Council and at planning committee hearings, and draw attention to cases where we believe enforcement of planning requirements is lacking. Our current concern is with the major increases in house building promoted by the Government Office of the South East. Apart from planning of buildings, we are engaged with a variety of subjects which are either carried on in the countryside or interact with the rural scene; in addition to agriculture, these include the working of gravel and restoration of gravel pits, the care and creation of sites of habitat conservation, road schemes and signage, including advertising on roundabouts, works on and beside waterways, renewable energy schemes, and waste management.
An Oxfordshire Branch was inaugurated by John Buchan (later Lord Tweedsmuir (who lived in Ewelme, The Ed.)) 76 years ago. Since then it has fought and won the case against a reservoir on Otmoor, and, later, the building of the M40 across Otmoor, created the Oxfordshire Way in the early 1970s, has safeguarded the retention of the Oxford Green Belt, was instrumental in saving Great Tew in the late 70s, objected and continues to object to South Oxfordshire District Council’s decision to allow advertising on all roundabouts in the District, led the recent successful campaign against an advertisement in a field alongside the M40 near Tetsworth, and is in process of creating an Oxford Green Belt Way on public rights of way through the Green Belt.
Members receive twice-yearly Bulletins on activities in Oxfordshire and also a national magazine “Countryside Voice” from the National Office in London. We hold at least two meetings locally per year and welcome new members (our membership secretary is Sue Bowditch at 01865 407534). Our first event of 2007 will be a talk by Harry Barton, recently appointed Chief Executive of the Northmoor Trust, on ‘The local landscape - past, present and future’. The meeting, which will be open to all, is to be at 7.30 on Wednesday 7 February in Wallingford Town Hall. We look forward to seeing you then.
Arnold Grayson Chairman, Wallingford CPRE (01491 837193)