CPRE manifesto for the next government

CPRE’s manifesto for the next government calls on all political parties to recognise the value of the countryside and its vital role in answering our nation’s challenges.

The next government will make decisions that will shape our countryside for decades to come. The climate and nature crises pose an existential threat to rural areas, whilst the need for housing and for food and energy security add to the pressures on land. And, of course, we also need the beauty, the space to breath, and the freedom of the great outdoors that only the countryside can offer.

CPRE nationally are calling on all political parties to commit to common sense and practical policies that will both offer solutions to the challenges we face and secure a thriving countryside long into the future.

Fix the broken housing market in rural communities

• Redefine ‘affordable’ in line with local incomes not market rates
• Set new targets for new social and genuinely affordable housing
• Abolish ‘hope value’ to get more social housing built
• Tackle short term lets in rural hotspots

Recognise the importance of the countryside next door

• Champion and enhance Green Belt land
• Create new woodlands and wetlands near urban areas
• Create a new generation of regional and country parks
• Increase access to the countryside next door

Start the rooftop renewables revolution

• Set a target of 60% of solar to be on rooftops
• Make rooftop solar the norm on new buildings
• Make rooftop solar more affordable for people and communities
• Set a ‘roof first’ solar policy

Reform the planning system to serve both people and planet

• Develop a long term vision for land use across England
• Integrate targets for the environment and nature into planning policy
• Prioritise urban regeneration to reduce pressure on the countryside
• Make community voices count in what-goes-where decisions

More information

CPRE general election manifesto 2024 – CPRE