We were delighted that CPRE's national Chief Executive Crispin Truman and Finance Director Mark Cornish were able to be with us.
The Branch was especially sad to say farewell to its outgoing President, Dame Janet Trotter who was shortly to retire as Lord Lieutenant of the County. All joined our Branch Chair, Professor Patricia Broadfoot in giving special thanks to Dame Janet for her tireless influence and commitment to sustaining the beauty of Gloucestershire and its rural environment and thence for the work of CPRE.
In her place as President we were delighted to welcome Charles Martell. Charles has farmed at Dymock since 1972 where he has built up a reputation for saving and protecting many traditional Gloucestershire breeds, inventing new cheeses, notably ‘Stinking Bishop’, and commercially producing these and several former Gloucestershire cheese varieties.
In her report, Patricia Broadfoot, highlighted the significant achievements over the past year and the challenges that CPRE faces. One aspect which struck a singular chord with those present was the continuing failure to provide affordable housing, an issue which led to a lively discussion.
Our guest speaker, Baroness Young of Old Scone, is currently Chair of the Woodland Trust. Pointing out how, worldwide, people really care about the natural environment, she spoke passionately about her love of the countryside and dwelt on the many initiatives, both encouraging and threatening, that were likely to affect it and thus needed watching closely. Notwithstanding positive initiatives like the 25 Year Environment Plan and the National Parks and AONBs Review, her over-riding concern was the level of environmental protection to be provided post Brexit. There was a real risk that, without careful and committed planning and resourcing, whatever was put in its place would lack the teeth to be effective.
In common with views already expressed, Lady Young was a strong supporter of the provision of genuine affordable housing, including rented housing. This was closely linked with providing the opportunity for people to stay within their own communities. “Older people, who have lived their whole lives in rural towns and villages, are being squeezed out. It all comes back to ensuring the right housing in the right places”, she said. The current reliance by government on housing targets and penalising authorities for not meeting them risked putting the wrong houses in the wrong places.
