From Laura Jansen, CPRE Campaigns Team

5 January 2011

Good afternoon Buntingford Civic Society members

And a very happy new year to you.


Pylons: a big thank you
We have had a fantastic response to our pylons campaign - 750 Campaigns Update readers have so far helped us by sending a postcard to the Government's consultation response team calling for new pylons to avoid our most precious countryside.

Thank you very much if you were able to email a card; we do appreciate your help. The consultation closes on 24 January, so there are still a few more days in which you can make your voice count, if you haven't already.

Our campaigning really is making a difference. Thanks to CPRE and its supporters, the National Grid is currently reconsidering its approach to putting pylons underground. So the more postcards sent to the Government, the more weight behind our campaign.
> Stop pylons ruining countryside


Power to the people: our big planning campaign
You may remember a few months ago I mentioned we were gearing up for an important campaign on planning. Things are coming to a head now that the Government has published its Localism Bill - the first debate on this in the House of Commons will take place on 17 January.

Among other things, this Bill proposes major changes to our planning system. This is a big opportunity to improve the planning system and protect the countryside. We are lobbying the Government to help ensure this happens. As part of this we have produced a charter for planning reform. It sets out the main things we'd really like to see in the Localism Bill.

One thing the Bill doesn't currently contain, however, despite pre-election commitments, is the right for local people to challenge inappropriate developments where they live - what we are calling a community right to appeal. We are campaigning hard to ensure this is included in the Bill - and we really need your help.

Please write to your MP, asking him or her to support our charter and our call for a community right to appeal by writing to the Minister, Greg Clark.
> Help transform the planning system
> Read our charter for planning reform [opens 462KB PDF]