CPRE Oxfordshire’s 90th Anniversary 1931 – 2021
7th September 2021
2021 marks 90 years of CPRE Oxfordshire. We will be taking a look back at past campaigns, how the county has changed and what it might look like in the future.
CPRE Oxfordshire was founded on 7th March 1931 at the County Hall, Oxford. John Buchan, author and MP became CPRE Oxfordshire’s first Chairman.
At that time campaigns included calling for an effective national and local planning system to control development, particularly warning of the dangers of urban sprawl to the countryside.
A campaign still very relevant today. CPRE Oxfordshire continues to campaign against plans which would cause damage to the countryside and rural communities. A constant, and enduring theme is the destruction of the Green Belt which we continue to fight to protect for future generations.
Tale of a Town, Chipping Norton
The film below was made by Oxford University on behalf of CPRE Oxfordshire, circa 1969, to counter the proposal to widen New Street, Chipping Norton. Lord Esher provided the commentary, stating that the proposed scheme would simply move congestion from one end of the marketplace to the other.
The original 16mm reel was found in a barn in 1999 and recently digitised.
Watch the film, via our YouTube channel, here.
CPRE Oxfordshire’s 90th anniversary appeal
In the midst of planning chaos – help us get countryside voices heard.
Please help us raise £10,000 match funding to recruit a Planning Co-ordinator.
Oxfordshire has been identified as a ‘growth hub’ – OxCam Arc proposals are lining us up for a near doubling of our housing stock and population by 2050.
Many of our local authorities, backed by Government Planning Inspectors, are increasingly ignoring the intentions of spatial designations such as Green Belt and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
And now the Government is re-writing the rulebook, with a new Planning Bill focusing on ‘Project Speed’, looking to restrict local input and simplify environmental assessments.
In the middle of all this, the voice of rural communities is more vital than ever.
CPRE Oxfordshire now has an opportunity to recruit an additional team member – a Planning Co-ordinator – to help us fight for strong policies for the protection of our countryside, villages and market towns.
The great news is that we have already secured most of the funding for this role, but we need your help in raising the matching £10,000.
Our Planning Co-ordinator will help to support CPRE volunteers, parish councils, local community groups and individuals, many overwhelmed by the scale and pace of Plans coming forward for the county, to make sure we can provide a co-ordinated and effective voice speaking up for rural Oxfordshire at this critical time.
CPRE Oxfordshire was founded back in 1931 by a group of Oxfordshire residents, not to keep the County in aspic but to shape and guide development in order to protect and enhance this amazing part of rural England. In this, our 90th anniversary, that mission remains.
We think what Oxfordshire has is special and worth fighting for. We hope you agree. Please support us and help us get Countryside Voices heard.
Remember: Every £1 you give will be match funded by an additional £1.50. So, a donation of just £20 will mean an overall gift to CPRE Oxfordshire of £50. Please can you help us meet our £10,000 90th anniversary appeal target?