Sent: 19 September 2011 11:00
To: dave motley
Subject: New menace to our countryside
Our English countryside is under threat again. The government is trying to rush through massive changes to the planning system, which would make it much easier to build on green field sites. We've just a few weeks to stop this happening.
Experts are lining up to condemn the government plans. The National Trust warns of “unchecked and damaging development”. [1] Friends of the Earth predicts “a building free-for-all that will blight our countryside with bad building”. [2]
A massive people-powered petition can make the government think again. It worked to stop England's forests being sold off. [3] It can work again to stop precious countryside being wrecked by bulldozers and concrete.
Please add your name now, then forward this message to all your friends:
https://secure.38degrees.org.uk/save-our-countryside
The English countryside is something we all enjoy. It's far too precious to build on willy-nilly. Once our green fields are gone, they're gone forever.
If we work together, we can stand up for a balanced, careful approach to deciding what to build and where to build it. We can protect local communities' right to have their say, make sure social housing is built where it’s needed and protect wildlife and beautiful, tranquil places.
Having to act fast to stop an urgent threat to our countryside feels eerily familiar doesn't it! It's only a few months since half a million of us came together to stop plans to sell off England's forests. It worked that time - now let's come together again to stop this new threat to our beautiful green places.
Take two minutes now to add your name to the petition:
https://secure.38degrees.org.uk/save-our-countryside
Thanks for being involved,
David, Hannah, Johnny, Marie, Cian, Becky and the 38 Degrees team
PS: The government "consultation" ends in October. They say that after that they want to press ahead quickly. So we've got just a few weeks to make this petition huge. Please add your name now, then forward this e-mail to all your friends and ask them to sign too: https://secure.38degrees.org.uk/save-our-countryside
NOTES:
[1] http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-chl/w-countryside_environment/w-planning-landing.htm
[2] http://www.foe.co.uk/resource/press_releases/planning_reforms_meet_minister_07092011.html
[3] Read more about the successful campaign to stop the forest sell-off here: http://blog.38degrees.org.uk/2011/02/17/victory-government-to-scrap-plans-to-sell-our-forests/
MORE INFORMATION:
Stopping dangerous changes to the planning system was prioritised by thousands of 38 Degrees members in the August campaign priorities poll. You can see the full results here: http://blog.38degrees.org.uk/2011/09/16/august-member-poll-results-now-in/
Interesting articles:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/jul/28/localism-bill-sacrifice-countryside-market
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2036528/Planning-reform-Ministers-urged-come-clean-links-builders.html
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/hands-off-our-land/
http://www.jonathonporritt.com/blog/planning-sustainable-development
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/blog/2011/sep/12/development-free-for-all-chaos
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/sep/05/george-osborne-motorway-sustainable-development
Campaigning organisations:
http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-chl/w-countryside_environment/w-planning-landing.htm
http://www.foe.co.uk/news/planning_reform_rushed_through_32499.html
http://www.cpre.org.uk/what-we-do/housing-and-planning/
http://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/en/campaigning/planning-changes/Pages/nppf-statement.aspx