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home ¦ news and events ¦ about us ¦ local to you ¦ support us ¦ contact us ¦ help and advice ¦ campaigns ¦ press releases ¦ publications ¦ links |
Winners of the CPRE / Cheshire Life Great Landscapes Writing Competition 2006
Congratulations to the winners of last year's Writing Competition! The first two in each category have had their work published in the March 2007 edition of Cheshire Life, and you can read all the winning articles here on our website.
Many thanks to our judges: CPRE Cheshire President Lord Grey of Codnor, Andrew Miller, MP for Ellesmere Port and Neston, and Patrick O'Neill. Editor of Cheshire Life
And of course we would like to thank all those who entered the 2006 competition. Once again, the standard was high and the entries showed just how much Cheshire people of all ages truly value their countryside.
Look out for the launch of our 2007 competition, which will take place during CPRE's Great Landscapes week at the end of June.
Adults - Winner: Andrew Knighton - Macclesfield
Highly Commended: George Mather - Lostock Gralam
Certificate of Merit: Sheila Powell, - Malpas
Pupils from Tarporley Community High School and Tattenhall Park Primary School
16 - 18
Winner:Tom Marley. - Hidden Haven
Highly Commended: Martin Cosens - The Secret Sanctuary of Tirley Garth
Certificate of Merit: Katie Enwright - Winter Wonderland
9 - 11 Winner: Ayesha Kewley - Beeston Castle
Highly Commended: Olwen Marshall - Millbrook Stream
Cerificate of Merit: Felix Morriss - Delamere Forest
Take action to stop assault on planning controls and local democracy.
Those of us who care about our countryside been feeling for some time that the planning system designed to protect our environment and involve local people in decisions about the development of their communities is under siege.
Presided over by Chancellor, Gordon Brown, who commissioned the recent Barker and Eddington Reports, there is a nationwide move to sacrifice our environment for the sake of economic growth alone. CPRE at every level has been working to address this problem, and now we are calling on everyone, members and non-members, to add their voices to ours in a massive effort to address this disastrous situation.
On 24th January 2007, CPRE teamed up with The Civic Trust, Friends of the Earth, The Ramblers Association, RSPB, Transport 2000, The Wildlife Trusts and The Woodland Trust, to launch a major ‘Planning Disaster Campaign’.
The campaign alerts everyone to the assault on planning controls and local democracy, and calls on the public to email Gordon Brown to express their concerns.
Visit the campaign website at www.planningdisaster.co.uk and voice your opinion.
‘Take
a View’ and win a prize!
Got an Eye for a view? Take your camera (or mobile phone) out into our gorgeous
countryside and you could snap up a prize of up to £10,000 in the ‘Take
a View’ landscape photography competition, supported by CPRE.
One of our major aims is to encourage people to value our countryside, and appreciate the need to protect it. CPRE is supporting this national competition to raise awareness of our varied landscapes and the tranquillity and beauty they offer. So get out there and get clicking!
‘Take a View’, the new Landscape Photographer of the Year competition, is the brainchild of Charlie Waite, one of today’s most respected landscape photographers. A total prize fund of £20,000 is on offer, including £10,000 for the winning adult entry. Winning entries will be featured in a book and will be exhibited at the National Theatre, London in the autumn. CPRE is supporting this competition because we hope it will raise awareness of the extraordinary beauty and variety of our countryside.
This is a great opportunity to get out into the countryside and capture something special about the rich diversity of the British landscape that symbolises our landscape and our times. There are four categories: classic view – a great landscape shot, living the view – people working or enjoying the landscape, your view and phone view (using a mobile camera phone) – both capturing something personal for you.
How to enter and find out more
The
competition closes on Thursday 31 May 2007 and is open to all ages. You can
find out more and see how to submit your entries online by visiting the website
www.take-a-view.co.uk.
CPRE UNVEILS A REVOLUTIONARY WAY OF MAPPING TRANQUILLITY
| Image: CPRE CPRE's new Tranquillity map of England ... view key |
CPRE has just unveiled a revolutionary new way of measuring and mapping one of the most important things the countryside gives us all: tranquillity.
This ground-breaking work produced by researchers from Northumbria and Newcastle Universities enables a ‘tranquillity score’ to be given to 500m squares throughout the country, and an average score has been calculated for each county council, unitary authority and large conurbation in England.
Our new map shows, in detail and across the whole of England, how likely the local surroundings are to make a visitor feel tranquil. The spectrum of colours ranges from deep red – within towns and cities and along major roads – shading through orange and yellow to a rich green in the most unspoilt areas of deep countryside with big views and little man-made noise.
Our new mapping method gives us a practical, reliable method of showing where tranquil places can still be found. The method can be used locally to examine smaller areas in depth and analyse levels of tranquility on a smaller scale, identifying important pockets of tranquility close to busy areas, and working to protect them.
This is the start of our campaign to persuade national and local government, planners, developers, business, and public bodies to start using it, in order to safeguard tranquil areas for the future and even enhance them.
| Image: CPRE ... the North West expanded ... view key |
The research for this new project began with a large survey to identify the factors which promote, and undermine, a feeling of calmness and peace.
What makes us feel tranquil? – the top 8 survey responses:
What stops us feeling tranquil? – the top 8 survey responses:
HELP US PROTECT OUR TRANQUIL AREAS BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE
The shocking news is that the average score for Cheshire makes it one of the least tranquil of the shire counties, ranking 33rd out of 34, just ahead of Surrey.
When all of the areas of England are considered, including unitary authorities and large conurbations, Cheshire still only ranks 56th out of 86.
| Image: CPRE ... and Cheshire in detail - view key |
More people in Cheshire need to realise the impact of rapidly growing road and air traffic and increasing development on the tranquility of our beautiful country – and help Cheshire CPRE to act now to halt the loss of this vital attribute of our countryside.
Despite brownfield targets proposing that previously-used land is built on before greenfield sites are used, the draft Regional Spatial Strategy for the North West proposes a huge increase in new building and infrastructure, some of which will have to go on greenfields and in the North Cheshire Green Belt.
According to the Government, traffic levels will increase by 31% between 2000 and 2015 if current trends continue. The growth on rural roads is most rapid. Many of our Cheshire towns are already clogged with traffic. The proposed widening of the M6 through Cheshire will slice through tranquil places and its impact in terms of noise, increased traffic and further development will be felt over a wide area of the county.
Manchester Airport and Liverpool Airports have recently proposed massive expansion up to 2030, encouraged by the Government’s controversial 2003 Aviation White Paper. The impact of this in terms of noise, air pollution and increased road traffic movements will add to the factors that take away tranquility. Manchester Airport is also calling for the Green Belt to be reviewed to allow for the expansion of activities.
The North West is the most heavily light-polluted region in England, and tranquility is lessened by spreading sky glow across our county as fast-growing use of poorly directed outdoor lighting blots out views of the stars.
How the maps were made
| Image: CPRE Key to the maps |
Researchers began by consulting more than 1,300 countryside users and visitors across England on their perceptions – what it was in their surroundings that did, and didn’t, make them feel tranquil. There was a wide diversity of views but most revolved around three themes – landscape qualities, the impact of man-made noises and the presence or absence of lots of people.
The new measurement method takes into account factors contributing to feelings of tranquillity, such as sweeping views of open countryside, and factors detracting from those feelings – like busy roads and large man-made structures intruding into views.
Then, working from these responses, the team employed computer-based techniques and geographical databases to show how likely every part of England is to make a visitor feel tranquil. England’s land mass was divided into squares measuring 500 metres by 500 metres, each given a tranquillity score and colour-coded.
To see the labelled map of Cheshire as a .pdf file, click here. (The file opens in a new window).
Find out more at http://www.cpre.org.uk/campaigns/landscape/tranquillity/tranquillity-what-is-the-problem.
CPRE’s new tranquillity campaign is supported by Esmée Fairbairn Foundation.
| Exciting Opportunities for Volunteers Cheshire CPRE faces many challenges as we gear up to work with the changing circumstances of the 21st Century. To meet these, we need to draw on the talents, experience and enthusiasm of our members, and we are asking YOU to consider giving some of your time to take on an interesting and important voluntary management role with the Branch. We urgently need to replace our retiring Chairman to enable us to continue working on behalf of our members and all Cheshire residents to protect our wonderful county. Potential Chairmen need the time to give to the role, experience of managing budgets and staff, and preferably, of working with a charity. Volunteers for this role would be supported by our experienced Executive Committee, and dedicated Branch staff. There are many exciting opportunities to take CPRE Cheshire forward and become involved in new initiatives, but without a dedicated person in this key role, who understands and supports our aims, we will miss out on these. To take full advantage of the opportunities to advance Cheshire CPRE’s aims, we also need more people to volunteer to work with our staff and existing volunteers on tasks such as fundraising, organising events and writing articles for newsletters and the website. Working as a volunteer offers many benefits to the individual as well as the charity. Apart from the personal satisfaction and sense of achievement you will get from knowing you are working for a cause you believe in, the work can also help you develop or refresh your skills and experience, or enable you to learn new skills that can be of benefit in other aspects of your life. Many people returning to paid work after a gap or seeking a career change find that voluntary work such as this provides valuable experience towards their next career move. Work of this type, where experience is highly valued, is often just what newly retired people find they need to bridge the gap between a hectic working life and a more leisured pace. We cannot afford to stand still in the face of new challenges, and we cannot move forward - or perhaps even continue to exist - without filling these essential roles. Take a look at our Support Us page to find out more, then if you believe you have what it takes to help ensure the future of CPRE Cheshire, email or call our Branch Secretary Debbie Janney on 01606 835046 to start getting involved. |
Aston Grange Windfarm – Refused? Confused?
In an astonishing series of events at Vale Royal Borough Council this week, a decision was made to refuse the application to build a wind power station at Aston Grange Farm, followed two days later by a call for the application to go to full council, effectively wiping out that decision.
At a special meeting on 3rd October, Vale Royal’s Planning Committee refused Tegni Cymru’s application to erect four giant turbines and associated development on the site, which lies within Green Belt, an Area of Special County Value, an Area of Local Environmental Value and the new Weaver Valley Regional Park, and is close to Sites of Biological Importance, Sites of Special Scientific Interest, and the Trent and Mersey Canal Conservation Area. The vote was split 50-50, and the Chairman’s casting vote won the day for those who had argued that this highly inappropriate development should not be permitted.
However, celebrations were cut short on 5th October, as five Councillors called for the application to go to full council, apparently overturning the previous decision.
Members of CPRE’s Vale Royal District, initially delighted that their views protesting against this inappropriate proposal had been taken on board, are now quite dismayed at the current situation.
They had argued that the site is designated as a valuable landscape, which ought to be protected from such an insensitive development. The proposed turbines would be amongst the largest yet seen in the UK, and siting these giants in such a prominent location would have a negative visual impact for many miles around. Construction of the turbines and associated development calls for an enormous number of truck movements and access by large plant, and this, along with the long-term presence of the wind power station, would have the effect of “industrialising” this area of countryside.
Furthermore, CPRE was uneasy about the lack of definite plans for the decommissioning and future use of the site at the end of its useful life, or in the event of further research and experience proving wind power inefficient. Our own research shows many energy professionals are beginning to suggest this.
While we support the provision of renewable energy, Cheshire CPRE strongly believes this should not come at the expense of the very environment the move to renewable energy is supposed to protect.
We must now await the outcome of the second debate on this application, likely to take place on 30th November.
CPRE / Cheshire Life Writing Competition 2006
CPRE/Cheshire
Life magazine have run a competition annually for the last four years for those
who love Cheshire's countryside, and want to share their enthusiasm. The brief
was:
Just think of your favourite Cheshire landscape: what makes it special to
you? Now imagine how you would feel if it were ever under threat. Then turn
your thoughts and feelings into an article of no more than 250 words, and send
it to the Branch Office before 31st October 2006.
The competition is free and is open to all ages. We are especially keen to encourage
young people and children to enter. They are the countryside custodians of the
future, and it’s never too early for them to develop an appreciation of the
landscapes all around them. Some schools have used the competition task as an
opportunity to develop planning and other writing skills, or for younger children
to reflect on school visits.
This year's competition is now closed, and judging is underway, so watch
this space for the results! The winning articles will be published in Cheshire
Life next spring.
OUR SUMMER SHOWS HAVE COME TO AN END
| Photo: CPRE Cheshire Branch ... and at the Nantwich Food Festival |
Each summer CPRE Cheshire Branch takes to the road, visiting many of the key summer shows in the county, and being introduced to 250,000 people!
| Photo: CPRE Cheshire Branch Our stand at the Ploughing and Hedgelaying Championships.... |
These events give us a great opportunity to meet a wide range of people who share an interest in the countryside and rural life, both Cheshire residents and visitors to our special part of England.
They enable us to keep in touch with what people are concerned about and what they most value and celebrate, as well as allowing us to explain and - just occasionally! - do a little 'selling' of ourselves. In 2006 we again recruited a significant number of new members, and the shows play a major part in our efforts to spread the word.
CPRE's summer show season for 2006 drew to a close in late September, when we took our stand out to the Ploughing and Hedgelaying Championships at Love Lane Farm, Betchton.
Our volunteers discussed a wide range of rural issues with farmers and other visitors to this popular countryside event, and promoted Cheshire CPRE's Hedgerow Award Scheme, which offers advice on planting and maintenance, and recognises good practice in maintaining hedgerows.
CPRE LAUNCHES PAINTING COMPETITION FOR YOUNG ARTISTS
|
Image: CPRE Cheshire Branch The entry by Thomas Acton (age 8) of Alderley Edge |
Cheshire Branch is seeking young artists to paint a colourful picture showing tasty local foods or a bright farming scene. They could have their artwork transformed into one of a series of large professional posters for the charity to use in its Local Foods campaign throughout the Cheshire area.
As part of our campaign to promote Local Foods, we recently made the first presentations of our new 'Buy Local' Awards to three businesses nominated by members of the public for providing excellent opportunities to buy high quality local foods (see below). Building on the success of the scheme, we are now taking nominations for awards to be made in 2007, and the winning pictures will be used to promote the scheme in the future.
John Turnbull, Chairman of CPRE Cheshire, said: ‘Our local foods campaign has been very popular, and we now need a new set of six posters for the display we take out events and shows in the area. Everyone knows kids paint the best pictures, so we’re asking them to design a poster that shows how good local food is.
‘Their work could be a painting of locally grown food, or of one of the places where local food can be bought – perhaps a farm shop or market stall, or they could paint a farm scene showing animals grazing or crops growing. They could add a slogan to get the local foods message across if they want,’ he added.
We
hope the competition will help children make the connection between healthy foods and their local landscape, and make them more aware of the benefits of buying food produced close to their homes. If you would like to learn more about local foods, CPRE has produced a very encouraging report on how they can be a great success. (This is quite a large file, so it may take a while to load).Sadly, the competition has now closed. Judging is underway, and the results will be announced soon. Many thanks to all who entered - these were some great ideas.
| Photo: CPRE Cheshire Branch Phil Davies receives his award from John Turnbull, Chairman of CPRE Cheshire Branch |
The efforts of Holmes Chapel butcher, Phil Davies, to provide top-quality local produce for his high street customers were recognized when he received one of the CPRE’s brand new ‘Buy Local’ Awards. Mr. Davies’s shop is one of three Cheshire businesses rewarded for their commitment to making top quality local foods available to shoppers.
The award scheme, launched at the RHS Show last year, asked members of the public all over Cheshire to nominate businesses they believed were the best providers of good local foods, and three winners were selected to receive an engraved brass ‘CPRE Mark’ plaque.
Cheshire CPRE Chairman, John Turnbull, said, "It was heartening to see that so many people are as concerned as we are about cutting down on the unnecessary ‘food miles’ travelled by the average supermarket shop, and about supporting the efforts of British farmers and shopkeepers to provide us with superb, safe and healthy local food. On the other hand, the interest the scheme created made the task of choosing winners a tough one."
“People have never been so concerned about what they put on their forks, yet more and more of our farmers, restaurateurs and food retailers are making huge efforts to provide excellent, safe and tasty food that’s produced locally and not driven round the entire country before it reaches us. We felt it was time to reward those people, and to encourage more people to buy from them, in line with CPRE’s national campaign to promote local foods,” added Clare Lewis, CPRE’s Press and Membership Officer.
The shop was nominated by one of its very satisfied customers, Hilary Blumer of Holmes Chapel, who read about the new Award scheme in the Sandbach Chronicle last year. “Not only is the meat sourced 100% in Cheshire, but the service is friendly, with recipe ideas and cooking advice thrown in", she said.
"At Phil Davies Butchers we pride ourselves on purchasing local produce from trusted suppliers and are therefore delighted to have won this Buy Local Award. We are keen to encourage people to eat Cheshire meat and poultry, and offer personnel, friendly service using traditional butchery methods to allow our customers greater choice and flexibility than the larger supermarkets." said Mr. Davies.
Cheshire CPRE Chairman, John Turnbull, said, "It would be much easier for a high street butcher to simply find the best quality meat at the best price, but Phil has shown a real commitment to bringing locally produced food to the high street, making it easier for busy people to ‘buy local'".
| Photo: CPRE Cheshire Branch Andrew Shufflebotham of Cheerbrook Quality Farm Foods receives his award from Stephen O'Brien, MP |
| Photo: CPRE Cheshire Branch Stephen celebrates with Monica Haworth of Eddisbury Fruit Farm |
Two other Cheshire businesses received the their ‘Buy Local’ awards at the Nantwich Show from Stephen O’Brien, MP for Eddisbury, who has a keen interest in food quality and rural issues.
Eddisbury Fruit Farm, of Kelsall, near Tarporley and Cheerbrook Quality Farm Foods of Willaston, Nantwich were among the three businesses rewarded for their commitment to making top quality local foods available to shoppers.
Another three nominees will shortly receive certificates of commendation.
See our Press Releases page for more information about the presentations.
We will be building on the success of this year's competition with a new set of awards next year, so if we haven't found your favourite yet, please take a few minutes to fill in and send us a nomination form.
NEW MOTORWAY THREAT RECEDES - BUT M6 WIDENING LOOMS
The threat of a new motorway carving through Cheshire and Staffordshire, which has haunted countryside lovers, environmentalists and supporters of sustainable transport policies for several years, has at last been lifted.
Transport Minister Stephen Ladyman MP had announced in the summer of 2005 that the government were commissioning the Highways Agency to carry out a feasibility study into the building of a tolled ‘express’ motorway to run roughly parallel to the M6 from the northern end of the Birmingham M6 Toll to near junctions 19 or 20 on the M6.
At the same time the announcement was made, the Department for Transport slipped out the results of the consultation it conducted on the concept of an ‘M6 Expressway’ and they revealed that less than 2% of the 9,500 respondents (not including petitions) were in favour of the idea. Yet the minister stated in his announcement that the consultation results were inconclusive!
Unexpectedly, in July 2006, Mr. Ladyman announced to the House of Commons that further studies had shown that the proposal for a separate, tolled road would be more expensive and require significantly greater land take than widening the existing route, and therefore that the Government will not undertake any further work on the concept of a separate motorway.
However, CPRE's relief at the end of this highly damaging scheme is tempered by concern about the Government's alternative.
The 2002 MIDMAN study, which CPRE participated in, showed that the existing capacity of the route would be adequate for many years to come. Yet the Government now proposes to spend c.Ł3Bn (Ł3,000 million!) of taxpayers' money on adding an extra lane to the existing route. CPRE believes that this astronomical sum would be far better spent on schemes to provide alternatives to encouraging more road use, and to manage travel demand.
We will continue to campaign hard to protect the countryside alongside the M6 from inappropriate and unnecessary damage, and M6 users from avoidable disruption.
For further information on the events leading up to the announcement see ‘M6 Expressway’ item on our Campaigns page.
Chester Green Belt Campaign CULMINATES
| Photo: CPRE Cheshire Branch Cheshire Branch Chairman, John Turnbull, and Chester CPRE Planning Coordinator Ann Jones present views of Chester residents to Christine Russell, MP |
| Photo: CPRE Cheshire Branch Stephen O'Brien MP chats to Chester CPRE's Roger Parkin after receiving postcards of support for Chester's Green Belt |
We were very pleased that two MPs whose constituencies cover the Chester Green Belt were able to meet us to receive the last of the views in support of the Chester Green Belt, which residents sent us during our recent campaign in the area.
Both Christine Russell, MP for the City of Chester, and Stephen O’Brien, MP for Eddisbury, managed to find time in their hectic schedules to receive these comments, which will be handed on to the Minister.
Our mailing campaign, funded by a National Lottery award, began in January, and alerted over 13,000 households in the Chester area to the threats their Green Belt is facing.
The mailing included a postcard enabling residents to tell the Government what the Chester Green Belt means to them, and it was the last of these postcards that were passed to the two MPs in July, to make sure all of these voices are heard.
Christine Russell said: "The success of the Green Belt has been that it has so far managed to protect the unique historic character of the City while at the same time safeguarding the character of most of the rural villages surrounding it."
Stephen O’Brien told us he was very pleased to accept the comments, as he and his party believe firmly in the value of the Green Belt, which is of great benefit to the countryside and the City of Chester alike.
Although our mailing campaign on Chester’s Green Belt is now completed, we will still be extremely active in protecting it in the future.
Read some of the comments we received, showing how much local people care, by clicking here.
Cheshire Show 2006
| Photo: CPRE Cheshire Branch Our new Branch President, Lord Grey of Codnor (centre), at the Cheshire Show with Vanessa Stevens (Chester) and Ken Parker (Vale Royal)... |
| Photo: CPRE Cheshire Branch ... while our retiring Branch President, Lady Baker Wilbraham, meets our Scarecrow |
Cheshire CPRE’s stand at this year’s Cheshire Show celebrated 80 years of achievement in protecting our countryside, and set out our aims for the future.
Our display featured an aerial photo of our lovely county, and its wonderful patchwork in every shade of green was much admired by visitors, yet that picture would now be very different if CPRE had not spent the past 8 decades working hard to protect the Cheshire countryside.
One of the many issues visitors to our stand were concerned about was the proposed alteration to the M6 – which could have a huge impact on the Tabley area, home of the Cheshire Show.
The Cheshire CPRE scarecrow came along too, and young Tom Armstrong, of Knutsford, guessed his name correctly and won a book kindly donated by Ottaker’s of Wilmslow.
Last chance to persuade Government to rethink its policy on planning for housing
The Government is expected to publish a new policy on planning for housing this summer. Consultation on the draft version ended in February.
Unless substantially amended, the new policy could herald a return to 'predict and provide' and an abandonment of the sequential 'brownfield first' approach which gives priority to developing urban brownfield sites in locations which reduce the need to travel. The draft policy placed considerable emphasis on meeting the demand for housing where it arises but at the same time failed to give planning authorities the powers they need to ensure urban brownfield sites are developed before greenfields.
CPRE fears that unless substantially amended the new policy would provide a recipe for greenfield sprawl, urban dereliction and abandonment but would do little to address the lack of affordable housing.
CPRE is calling on MPs everywhere to back our campaign for housing which gives priority to developing to urban brownfield sites before green fields. Please ask your MP to sign the brownfield first Early Day Motion 1770, if he/she has not done so already. You can find out whether your MP has signed by logging on http://edmi.parliament.uk/EDMi/EDMDetails.aspx?EDMID=30226&SESSION=875.
Cheshire Branch AGM: An Evening with Sir Max Hastings
| Photo: CPRE Cheshire Branch Richard and Christine Bass, Lord Grey, Lady Baker Wilbraham, Sir Max Hastings and John Turnbull |
Cheshire Branch recently spent a very pleasant evening with our national President, Sir Max Hastings for this year’s Annual general Meeting.
Around 120 members and friends enjoyed a buffet in the delightful setting of the Long Room at Eaton Park, (by kind permission of their Graces the Duke and Duchess of Westminster), followed by an inspiring speech from Sir Max on the future of the countryside. Read a summary of Sir Max's speech in a new window by clicking here.
During the evening, presentations were made to our retiring Branch President, Lady Baker Wilbraham, to thank her for four years of tremendous support for our work, and to retiring Branch Chairman, Richard Bass, who has moved to Surrey after two successful years leading our activities in Cheshire.
We welcomed our new Branch President, Lord Grey of Codnor, who is looking forward to continuing his family’s involvement with CPRE: his father was an active and successful Chairman of our Branch for twenty years. New Branch Chairman, John Turnbull, took the opportunity to meet and chat with members during the evening.
A raffle was held during the evening and raised Ł440. We are very grateful to the volunteers who sought prizes and to the following Cheshire businesses that generously donated them: John Lewis of Cheadle; Stephen Nash at The Lord Combermere restaurant, Audlem; Adrian Lee at Čze restaurant, Wilmslow; Tim and Elizabeth Richards, Gawsworth Hall; Clonter Opera, Swettenham Heath, Congleton; Anne Holroyd, yoga teacher, Nantwich; Cholmondeley Estate; Tattenhall Dairy Products Ltd; The Hollies Farm Shop, Little Budworth; Ness Botanic Gardens; The Norton Priory Museum Trust; The Boat Museum; and Capesthorne Hall.
Fun and Games at Reaseheath College Open Day
| Photo: CPRE Cheshire Branch Our new Branch Chairman, John Turnbull, presents the hampers to Andy Birchall and his family and a friend of Ms Davies. |
Volunteers from our Crewe and Nantwich District were out in force at the recent Open Day at Reaseheath College, with some rather unusual companions!
In addition to CPRE’s mystery scarecrow, who went along just for the ride, they had had a tick-ridden sheep! No cause for alarm – the sheep was an artistic representation only, and was there for the children’s “Find the tick on the sheep” game.
CPRE was promoting its local foods campaign at this popular family event, and the adults had a chance to support our campaign by entering a competition of their own to guess the total food miles travelled by two delicious hampers of local foods. Our volunteers approached businesses in and around Nantwich asking for donations of items to make up the hampers, and were overwhelmed at the generosity they found.
Wonderful local meat, bread and pastries, bottled beer, preserves, veg and ice cream were generously provided by the Great Tasting Meat Company at Poole, PH Stokes in Nantwich’s Market Hall, Barleycorn’s of Welsh Row, Nantwich, Cheerbrook Farm, Willaston, the Harvest Store, Wimboldsley, J Hulse of Worleston, Cholmondeley Castle and Snugburys Ice Cream at Hurleston. CPRE is extremely grateful to these companies for their support.
The correct mileage for these baskets of food from our own region was 228 – so just imagine how far your weekly shop at a big supermarket has travelled!
The winning guesses came from Ms. L. Davies from Stapeley, Nantwich and Mr Andy Birchall from Hoole, Chester, who came closest to the actual total.
A very enjoyable time was had by all, we raised vital funds to help our very active group in Crewe and Nantwich continue their work to protect and enhance the area, and we gained new members too.
GREAT LANDSCAPES WEEK 2005 - WRITING COMPETITION WINNING ENTRIES PUBLISHED
We are delighted to present the winners of this year's 'Favourite Landscapes' competition.
We asked budding writers to describe their favourite Cheshire landscape and how they would feel should it ever be under threat. We were thrilled with the response, and it was especially encouraging to see that so many young people care about the future of their environment: entries were received from entire classes at several schools.
It was a difficult task for our judges - our Branch President, Lady Baker Wilbraham, and Patrick O’Neill, Editor of Cheshire Life - to select the winning entries.
The Winners and Highly Commended entries have had their work published in the April 2006 edition of Cheshire Life, and all the successful entries are shown below - click on the name below to see the entry.
Congratulations to all the winners, and thanks to everyone who entered. It's great to see so much concern and passion for our Cheshire landscape!
Adults
Winner: James Sweatman, Prenton, Wirral
Highly Commended: David Eastwood, Timperley, Altrincham; Theresa Carrier, Davenham
Certificate of Merit: Beryl Wells, Poynton
Children
Winner: Ryan Buckley
Highly Commended: Mark Adamson; Sean Davies
Certificate of Merit: Robert Taylor; Patrick Nicholson; Ben Stringer; Gemma Eatough; Laura Jeavons
All from Green Lane Community Special School, Padgate, Warrington
Cheshire CPRE alerts Chester residents to Green Belt threat
Over 13,000 residents in and around Chester have been finding a message from CPRE on their doormats as a National Lottery-funded campaign to save the Chester Green Belt continues.
The exercise is the second phase of CPRE’s activities to mark the Green Belt’s 50th anniversary, which fell last year. Cheshire CPRE’s campaign aims to get the next 50 years off to a flying start by encouraging residents to join the fight to protect Chester’s important and historic rural setting. The mailing includes a letter from Cheshire CPRE and a postcard for recipients to complete to say what their Green Belt means to them. The postcards will be forwarded to the Government to demonstrate how much the Chester Green Belt is valued by local people.
Already, comments we have received show strong support for preserving our precious Green Belt for future generations. Some examples are:
"I want my children to grow up seeing wildlife in its natural surroundings, not only from books!! Chester is a historical city that will be ruined forever if turned into one large conurbation."
"Living in a city, the surrounding countryside is important for residents and their families to appreciate the peacefulness and freedom of open space. Children in particular can play without fear of the dangers of traffic and can learn of the wonders of mature. Please do not take that away from future generations. Let our children play!"
"I .... have two children and have seen many areas built on. Some areas could be redeveloped instead of cutting into valuable green belt – once it’s gone, it’s gone!"
"It is a beautiful area of countryside. I enjoy walking and cycling through with my children. If we build on it, where will our children spend time with their parents? Presumably, they can look it up on the Internet & see how it used to be!"
"Coming from Holland, I don’t want England to become like my country – 16.5 million people all living on top of each other!"
"It provides an opportunity to escape the noise and pollution of the city and to experience the true beauty of nature. It’s absolutely brilliant. Please help to preserve it." (Age 21)
"The narrow green belt on the northern side of the city is critically important in preventing any merger of Chester with the built-up part of Ellesmere Port and Merseyside."
"It preserves the environment and contributes to better health and quality of life."
"We have lived in Chester since 1962 and during that time have seen the suburbs extend more and more – this must stop or our Green Belt will no longer exist."
"Better use must be made of ‘brownfield sites’. I have written to Chester Council to protest at the threatened us of Chester Health Park for creeping urban development. In my view it is important that Chester doesn’t expand into what is now considered to be the Green Belt, which is so essential for recreation, retention of wildlife, peace & quiet plus clean air."
"It is gradually being removed. It is irreplaceable. Please do not allow it to be further developed in this area."
"The breathing space between Chester and surrounding neighbours is already very narrow and must be safeguarded."
"It is necessary for fresh, unpolluted air, exercise, escape from the town, and it’s nice! Please save it for us."
"It’s crucial to retain green space for wildlife and Chester’s green belt helps to retain the city’s identity and character."
We hope to welcome many new members as a result of the mailing, as more people are made aware of the need to protect their countryside and the valuable work Cheshire CPRE is doing to guarantee the future of our environment for other generations to enjoy.
For more information, see our Campaigns and Press Release pages.
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Victoria Buildings Lewin Street Middlewich Cheshire CW10 9AT Tel/Fax: 01606 835046 E-mail: info@cprecheshire.org.uk |
President: Lord Grey of Codnor Patron: HM The Queen Registered Charity No. 248304 |
© CPRE (Cheshire Branch) 2004, 2005, 2006
