CPRE: Reaction to Queen's Speech
Campaign to Protect Rural England
2 min read
In the Queen's Speech today, the Government has outlined a number of plans that will affect the countryside, namely in major infrastructure and agriculture.
In reaction to the plans for new infrastructure, the Campaign to Protect Rural England's senior infrastructure campaigner Daniel Carey-Dawes said:
"Rural communities increasingly feel that infrastructure is being imposed on them, and that it doesn't represent the kind of infrastructure they need. The countryside is crying out for new local bus and rail routes - not new road schemes or so-called spaceports.
“We understand the drive for economic gain post-Brexit, but this must not come at the expense of our countryside and environment.
“The Government should plan infrastructure that meets public and environmental need rather than the desires of investors. We should aim for the right infrastructure in the right locations, and engage local communities throughout the process.”
Belinda Gordon, head of rural affairs at CPRE, said:
“We welcome the inclusion of an Agriculture Bill, and the emphasis on creating a thriving farming sector and improving the environment. Before and during the fortchoming consultation on the bill, we will be pushing for a fairer agricultural policy that provides funds to those who need it and to those who produce the environmental and public benefits that we all value so much.
"We must encourage farmers to enhance the famed variety and distinctiveness of our landscapes and the resources that support them.”
You can read more about CPRE's proposals for a post-CAP agricultural sector here. A second paper in CPRE's Farming Foresight series is due later this summer.
