Rural tranquillity threatened charity

7 June 2000



Rural tranquillity threatened charity

RURAL tranquillity could soon be a thing of the past, warns a charity devoted to preserving the countryside.

Machinery, cars and building noise from encroaching urban sprawl have meant England has lost a tranquil area the size of Wales since the 1960s.

Now the Council for the Protection of Rural England (CPRE) is pressing the government for the protection of rural areas as part of its forthcoming Rural White Paper.

The CPRE wants tranquillity to be adopted by the government as an indicator of quality of rural life, and calls on local councils to identify and protect peaceful areas.

The charity is confident that environment minister Michael Meacher will support the proposal, but is calling for all of government to get behind its idea.

Worst hit areas are the south east, and Midlands while East Anglia and the North East are least affected, reports the Daily Mail.

If The trend continues will mean that tranquillity will be a thing of childhood memories, CPRE assistant director Tony Burton, told the BBC Radio 4 Farming Today programme.