News
Tin Tabernacle wins Listed status
Tuesday 13 January 2026
We all love a touch of quirkiness, and there can be little doubt that St Peter’s Church at Littlebury Green qualifies to be filed in the Quirky drawer. It’s quite possibly what helped confirm the decision by Historic England in December last year to grant the ‘Tin Tabernacle’ Grade II-listed status. It was described as […] Read more >
This is CPRE’s centenary year… video shows (very quickly) just some of our achievements
Thursday 8 January 2026
As we begin 2026, CPRE is proud to celebrate 100 years of standing up for the countryside. To mark our centenary, we’ve released a short video that reflects on a century of action and looks ahead to what’s next. This year marks a major milestone for CPRE. For 100 years, our members, supporters and communities […] Read more >
Happy New Year!
Tuesday 30 December 2025
Well, it might just happen! Some people want snow, others don’t, but there’s no doubt it can paint a wintry – and indeed attractive! – scene. Either way, whatever your thoughts, it’s time to wish all of you – members, supporters and helpers alike – a Happy New Year. See you soon! Read more >
CPRE unveils new look and feel for centenary year of celebration
Tuesday 30 December 2025
As CPRE prepares for its centenary, there has been a refreshing of the charity’s brand identity. The changes include a limited-edition centenary gold logo and a refreshed colour palette. This is an exciting time for CPRE as we look towards our centenary and the launch of a bold new strategy in 2026. Our centenary year […] Read more >
2025 – what a year!
Tuesday 30 December 2025
It’s been a pivotal year for CPRE and our countryside. From navigating new national planning policy to responding to a nationwide consultation on how we use land, to running a major campaign on rooftop solar, we’ve championed the countryside this year. As we prepare for a monumental 2026 – celebrating 100 years of standing up […] Read more >
Merry Christmas from all at CPRE Essex
Wednesday 24 December 2025
And so 2025 draws to its end and we want to thank every last one of you – members, supporters and helpers alike – for all that you have done over the past year. It’s a familiar message and we seem to say it every year, but the Essex countryside has never been under greater […] Read more >
CPRE’s response to the (draft) revised National Planning Policy Framework
Tuesday 23 December 2025
The Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government has published a draft revised National Planning Policy Framework and announced a 12-week consultation period. There is lots to welcome in this draft revision to the NPPF, not least a focus on urban densification, a recognition of the importance of rural affordable housing and welcome support including […] Read more >
Research shows most ‘grey-belt’ homes planned on unspoilt countryside
Tuesday 23 December 2025
New research from CPRE reveals that the government’s ‘grey belt’ policy is paving the way for large-scale development on England’s unspoilt rural landscapes – not, as ministers promised, unused car parks and derelict petrol stations. In December 2024, when the policy was introduced, the government gave ‘disused petrol stations’ and ‘abandoned car parks’ as examples […] Read more >
Data centre at North Weald Airfield backed by councillors
Tuesday 23 December 2025
It appears to be the latest boom industry, and Essex is clearly not going to miss out, with plans for a vast data centre at North Weald Airfield approved by Epping Forest District Council. The scheme has been put forward by Google, together with the claim that it will create up to 200 jobs once […] Read more >
Time and its use in housing development
Thursday 18 December 2025
Dominant rhetoric surrounding housing development has featured recurrent reference to delay and to a need to deliver housing more speedily, writes Professor Gavin Parker. This has been linked to the housing affordability crisis, and attention to hastening build-out rates and speeding up planning permissioning have been important concerns for government in recent years. In that […] Read more >