Copy text from intro

Countryside Quality Counts

Countryside Quality Counts (CQC) is a project to develop a national indicator of how the countryside is changing. It aims to understand how and where change is occurring and most importantly, where change matters the most.

Understanding change is therefore a key factor in planning for sustainable development and can be used to help plan future landscapes and inform change that delivers public benefits - enhancing and maintaining the character and quality of our countryside for this and future generations.

The project is currently undergoing a second phase of development and consultation, involving updating and further refinement of CQC data for the period 1998 to 2003.  Consultation was undertaken betweeen September and December 2005, and is now open between August 1st and September 29th 2006.  The consultation provides an important opportunity for the landscape community to collaborate in developing a national indicator of landscape change.

The second round of consultation is now open. For more information go to http://countryside-quality-counts.org.uk/

For further information please contact:
Andrew Baker (CQC Project Manager) 01242 533 459
Andrew.Baker@naturalengland.org.uk