CPRE Hertfordshire: Protecting our countryside

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Who are we?

CPRE Hertfordshire is the county branch of the Campaign to Protect Rural England. CPRE campaigns nationally and through its county branches for a better future for England’s countryside. It has a proud record of achievements in protecting the English countryside from harm. CPRE was a prime mover in the setting up of National Parks, creation of Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and Green Belts. CPRE Hertfordshire was founded in 1928 and is a separate registered charity. We have over 60 volunteers, including our Hon Director Kevin FitzGerald and Chairman Elizabeth Hamilton. They are supported by a skeleton team of three part-time, paid staff. We work from a tiny building in a walled courtyard in the centre of Welwyn village, which is just about in the centre of the county.
What do we do?

CPRE Hertfordshire:

• Strives to protect the countryside from harm, working through the planning system and raising the alarm when countryside is threatened.
• Supports local communities and campaigns to protect valued local areas.
• Advocates the sustainable use of land and other natural resources.
• Influences planning policies to ensure that they include protection for the countryside.
• Campaigns for a quieter countryside, free from litter and other intrusions.
• Lobbies for sustainable transport policies and safer rural roads.
• Celebrates Hertfordshire’s countryside by promoting its beautiful landscapes.
• Supports village life. One of the ways we do this is by organising the CPRE Hertfordshire Village of the Year Competition sponsored by Hertfordshire Community Foundation in association with Hertfordshire County Council, Hertfordshire Life and the Hertfordshire Mercury.
• Encourages people of all ages to take an interest in and enjoy their local countryside.
• Promotes local food production.

Walking: The Hertfordshire Way

Our work is funded through membership subscriptions, donations, legacies and fundraising. A big fundraising initiative for 2012 is a sponsored walk of the whole 194 miles of the Hertfordshire Way by Liz, Kevin and others. They’ll be doing it in 16 separate ‘legs’ between January and November. You can follow their progress month by month in Hertfordshire Life. Through the walk, Liz in particular is hoping to get to know her native county better, increase awareness of Hertfordshire’s countryside and the threats it faces, and raise much-needed funds for CPRE Hertfordshire. The fundraising target is £5,000 and donations can be made online at http://www.justgiving.com/ or you can send a cheque payable to CPRE Hertfordshire to our office, CPRE Hertfordshire, 31a Church Street, Welwyn, Al6 9LW.

Get in contact

For more information on the work of CPRE Hertfordshire
visit http://www.cpreherts.org.uk/ or call 01438 717587.

Plan YOUR Place

Part of the countrywide Supporting Communities and Neighbourhoods in Planning project, which has national backing from Government and from a number of other organisations, Plan YOUR Place is a countywide programme devised by a partnership between Hertfordshire Association of Parish and Town Councils (HAPTC) and CPRE Hertfordshire. 

Free events

Plan YOUR Place will comprise a free two and a half hour presentation and networking event, repeated in up to six venues across the county. The events will

• Explore Planning Myths
• Clarify changes to the Planning System
• Identify ways to influence decisions
• Highlight how and why to get involved
• Summarise the support available

When and where

The event will be repeated over the winter at a variety of locations across Hertfordshire, and we are currently finalising venues. The events are free, but places will be limited and once you have identified the one you wish to attend, you must book in advance – call 01438 717587 or email office@cpreherts.org.uk

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