CPRE disappointed with protection drop

Countryside campaigners CPRE are disappointed that a key measure of countryside protection and efficient land use has been dropped from the Government's headline list of Sustainable Development Indicators.

One of these headline indicators — the top 15 charting the UK's progress towards improving quality of life and long term sustainability — used to record what percentage of new homes were built on previously developed 'brownfield' land.

But in the latest set of headline figures — now renamed as 'summary framework indicators' — this measure no longer appears. It has been relegated to a list of 48 contextual indicators.

Paul Hamblin, CPRE's Head of Policy, said: 'We welcome the fact that the Government continues to publish a comprehensive set of indicators showing progress towards sustainable development — or the lack of it.

'Today's "traffic light" indicators show some progress, but highlight the need to reduce traffic levels and redouble efforts to improve alternatives to the car.

'How much land we consume through housing and other development has a major impact on people's quality of life. Its relegation to a 'contextual indicator' in the Government's strategy fails to appreciate its importance. 42% of non-housing development is still eating up green fields, while progress in improving the rate of house building on brownfield land has ground to a halt.'

'On a small island such as ours, land is a finite resource. We need to use it intelligently and efficiently if we are to protect the wider countryside for everyone's benefit.'

Paul Hamblin concluded: 'The Government is rightly tackling vandalism and litter to improve people's environment on their doorstep. But today's analysis shows that in fact more people are concerned by traffic levels. It's time Government devoted as much priority to reducing traffic and increasing the use of brown field land and set challenging targets for action.'