Breadcrumbs
More than just a gateway - 28 January 2004
Hundreds of acres of land between the countryside and towns are
underused and overlooked, according to the Countryside Agency and
Groundwork. Around each urban area there is a hinterland comprising
up to 20% of our total land area that should be a place for our
children to play in, a place to improve our health, grow local food
and provide sustainable jobs.
We need politicians, local communities planners and businesses to grab the opportunity to create a vision for the future of the rural/urban fringe and today (Wednesday 28 January) we are launching a consultation on that vision for the land and countryside immediately around towns.
Pam Warhurst, deputy chair of the Countryside Agency said: “It is a common misconception that there is a clear distinction between the countryside - green fields, hedgerows, hills and woodlands - and towns and cities. In reality the two often blur around the edges in a distinctive zone of horse-pastures, public utilities such as electrical substations and struggling agriculture.
“This consultation gives us an opportunity to consider what the rural/urban fringe could mean to the people who live, work and visit there, and how to achieve the best social, economic and environmental benefits from this often overlooked resource.”
Rural Affairs Minister Alun Michael welcomed the vision document: "The countryside around our towns is an important environment for today's generation and a rich asset for future generations provided we get the planning right. We need to get rid of the outdated idea of a rural/urban divide because we need each other. We need to understand the interdependencies and promote the concept of sustainable development as the key for both urban and rural areas - and where better to start than with the urban/rural fringes.
“That fits well with the Rural White Paper: a vision for a countryside, more diversified than in the past in which the links between town and country are strong and healthy. A vision for the rural/urban fringe takes this a step further by providing a template for combining local environmental, social and economic priorities to create more attractive surroundings and recreational opportunities and generate more income, from a wider range of sources, for land managers and others who depend upon the fringe for a living"
Tony Hawkhead chief executive of Groundwork said: “ One of the greatest challenges we face as a nation is learning to live more sustainably. This means ensuring that our urban centres develop in harmony with the environment that surrounds them. The rural urban fringe has enormous potential to help us meet the needs of the present - for local food, recreation, renewable energy and education - while changing the way we live in the future. It is also the bridge that connects our towns and cities with the countryside we love.
"Groundwork has been helping regenerate the rural urban fringe for more than 21 years. Now is the time for us to work together to unlock the full potential of this valuable resource."
Responses to this consultation will help shape a final version of the vision to be launched in mid 2004, followed by further work to stimulate the changes necessary to make the vision a reality. The closing date for responses is 30th April 2004.
The vision document and a questionnaire for submitting responses are available by emailing: rufconsultation@groundwork.org.uk, or from: www.groundwork.org.uk/policy/rufconsultation
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The Countryside Agency is the statutory body working to make the quality of life better in the countryside and the quality of the countryside better for everyone. www.countryside.gov.uk
Groundwork is a leading environmental regeneration charity making sustainable development a reality in many of the UK’s poorest communities. www.groundwork.org.uk
