Author | Lightnews

CPRE Oxfordshire @cpreoxfordshire.bsky.social · 3d

9. Promote Cross-Boundary Collaboration on Countryside Issues
Rural concerns don't stop at administrative borders. New governance must promote cooperation across communities on issues like housing targets, biodiversity corridors, flood management, and rural transport networks.

CPRE Oxfordshire @cpreoxfordshire.bsky.social · 3d

8. Local Food Security
Support should be given to regenerative farming and local food production that sustains the countryside and reduces environmental impact. Policy should reinforce the role farming has in rural Oxfordshire on feeding and supporting its population sustainably

1

CPRE Oxfordshire @cpreoxfordshire.bsky.social · 3d

7. Respect the Distinctiveness of Rural Communities
Governance reforms should respect the identity, needs, and character of rural settlements. Rural communities must not be sidelined, their voices need a strong and permanent seat at the table in shaping future decisions.

1

CPRE Oxfordshire @cpreoxfordshire.bsky.social · 3d

6. Guarantee Fair Funding and Resources for Rural Areas
Rural communities must not be disadvantaged in access to services, infrastructure, or investment. Devolution settlements should not be based purely on population size but on the services required.

1 1

CPRE Oxfordshire @cpreoxfordshire.bsky.social · 3d

5. Ensure Democratic Accountability and Local Involvement
Devolution must not dilute local democratic input, especially from parishes and communities in rural areas. We need more, not less, community involvement. Councils should commit to meaningful and ongoing public engagement.

1

CPRE Oxfordshire @cpreoxfordshire.bsky.social · 3d

4. Protect the Green Belt and National Landscapes
The Green Belt and designated landscapes must remain safeguarded from inappropriate development. Reorganisation must not be used as a pretext to weaken protections or shift planning boundaries to favour growth over conservation

1

CPRE Oxfordshire @cpreoxfordshire.bsky.social · 3d

3. Deliver Sustainable and Affordable Development
Sustainable and genuinely affordable development should be promoted in line with net zero goals and nature recovery.

1

CPRE Oxfordshire @cpreoxfordshire.bsky.social · 3d

2. Champion Strategic Planning
We need joined up county wide strategic planning that will alleviate historic issues to Oxford’s unmet housing need. Any new combined authority or devolved structure should operate with transparency.

1

CPRE Oxfordshire @cpreoxfordshire.bsky.social · 3d

1. Prioritise Protection of the Countryside
New council structures and devolved powers must embed a duty to protect the rural environment including landscapes, biodiversity, green spaces, and heritage. Green Belt and BMV land should be developed only as a last resort.

1

CPRE Oxfordshire @cpreoxfordshire.bsky.social · 3d

We've just published our Countryside and Rural Principles for District Councils in Unitary Planning Proposals... 🧵
bit.ly/4nZc1o2
#devolution #localgovernment #unitaryauthorities #oxfordshire

CPRE Oxfordshire: Countryside and Rural Principles for District Councils in Unitary Planning Proposals

As Oxfordshire’s governance evolves, CPRE Oxfordshire urges all district council to embed the following principles in policy and planning, to ensure the county’s countryside and rural communities are ...

bit.ly

1 1

CPRE Oxfordshire @cpreoxfordshire.bsky.social · 8d

We want an urgent change to the #greybelt definition to avoid the loss of our countryside: vital for health and wellbeing, combatting climate change and supporting wildlife.
Sign the petition before we lose any more. petition.parliament.uk/petitions/72...

Petition: Change the ‘grey belt’ definition in the National Planning Policy Framework

We want an urgent change to the ‘grey belt’ definition in the NPPF. We think the grey belt glossary definition [which] could result in the loss of our countryside forever - vital for health and wellbe...

petition.parliament.uk

1

CPRE Oxfordshire @cpreoxfordshire.bsky.social · 8d

"The new guidelines seem to be so vague, you could argue that many areas - if not all areas around Oxfordshire - could be considered grey belt, and therefore open to development."
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Villagers warn of new 'grey belt' rules after Noke planning fight

Farmland near Noke village is reclassified as

www.bbc.co.uk

1

CPRE Oxfordshire @cpreoxfordshire.bsky.social · 15d

Does your community know what to do in an emergency? @cagoxfordshire.bsky.social and @oxfordshirecc.bsky.social are organising this free 2 hour workshop on Saturday www.tickettailor.com/events/commu...
With more climate-related extreme weather events, we need to be prepared!

Select tickets – Community Resilience and Emergency Planning – Westgate Collaboration Space (Westgate Library)

Community Resilience and Emergency Planning – Westgate Collaboration Space (Westgate Library), Sat 11 Oct 2025 - Join CAG and the OCC Joint Oxfordshire Resilience Team for a

www.tickettailor.com

1

CPRE Oxfordshire @cpreoxfordshire.bsky.social · 29d

Last week we met with @freddievanmierlomp.bsky.social for his assurances that he will help to #protectthecountryside in the current push for development and growth at all costs. The current rhetoric of builders vs blockers threatens our most precious resource in the fight against climate change.

Freddie van Mierlo MP 🔶 @freddievanmierlomp.bsky.social · Sep 24

Last week I joined residents and campaigners in Sonning Common for a local climate lobby, part of the national Act Now, Change Forever campaign.
It was a thoughtful, honest conversation about what climate action means here in our community — and what more we need to do.

1

CPRE Oxfordshire @cpreoxfordshire.bsky.social · 29d

Thanks for your time and energy @freddievanmierlomp.bsky.social. We are lucky to have such an active and passionate community

CPRE Oxfordshire @cpreoxfordshire.bsky.social · 29d

Meanwhile, their original community benefit proposal started out at £50,000 - about the same as nearby community project Southhill Solar, despite being 150 times smaller. Following pressure from local groups they have increased their offering but it's still nowhere near comparable

CPRE Oxfordshire @cpreoxfordshire.bsky.social · 29d

Their own brochure states "We believe that solar panels are problematic, in terms of achieving a good appearance from the
public realm."
See page 14 www.blenheimestate.com/assets/files...

www.blenheimestate.com

1

CPRE Oxfordshire @cpreoxfordshire.bsky.social · 29d

Having refused to put solar panels on the 300 new houses at their Park View development, they now propose to cover 880 hectares of classic English countryside - 75% of which is in the #GreenBelt.

CPRE Oxfordshire @cpreoxfordshire.bsky.social · 29d

An excellent article highlighting not only the shady finances behind the #BotleyWest solar farm, but also the outright hypocrisy of Blenheim estate's attitude to solar panels.

observer.co.uk/news/science...

#FollowTheMoney

Heated debate: why Churchill’s birthplace lies at the hea...

Row over plans to build 2 million panels on land around historic Blenheim Palace has become symbolic of a national struggle

observer.co.uk

3 1

CPRE Oxfordshire @cpreoxfordshire.bsky.social · Aug 28

🚨 Abingdon Reservoir costs have TRIPLED to £7.5bn – and bill-payers will pick up the tab.

We say it’s time to rethink. Fix leaks first.
Read our response 👇
🔗 www.cpreoxon.org.uk/news/abingdon-reservoir-costs-soar-to-7-5-billion-a-wake-up-call-for-better-planning/

Abingdon Reservoir Costs Soar to £7.5 Billion – a Wake-Up Call for Better Planning | CPRE Oxfordshire

Thames Water has revealed that costs for the controversial proposed Abingdon Reservoir have soared from £2.2 billion to between £5.5 billion and £7.5 billion, a tripling of the original figure. This s...

www.cpreoxon.org.uk

1

CPRE Oxfordshire @cpreoxfordshire.bsky.social · Jul 29

🚫 CPRE Oxfordshire strongly opposes the “Greater Oxford” unitary proposal. It threatens the Green Belt with 67,000 new homes, driven by development, not infrastructure.
We need homes, yes — but not at the expense of our countryside.
bit.ly/4o9BOub
#ProtectTheGreenBelt #GreaterOxford

“Greater Oxford” Proposal Threatens the Green Belt and Ignores the Bigger Picture | CPRE Oxfordshire

A development-led power shift could risk Oxfordshire’s countryside, climate goals, and community voice. CPRE Oxfordshire is raising serious concerns over the “Greater Oxford” unitary authority proposa...

bit.ly

1 1

CPRE Oxfordshire @cpreoxfordshire.bsky.social · Jul 24

Thames Water's flawed megaproject moves forward unchecked.

The question remains: who really benefits from this huge infrastructure project? 💰💰💰

cpreoxon.org.uk/news/thames-...

#SESRO #AbingdonReservoir #ThamesWater

Thames Water’s flawed megaproject moves forward unchecked - but it's not over yet | CPRE Oxfordshire

This week the High Court dismissed our challenge of the government’s decision not to hold a public inquiry into the controversial Abingdon Reservoir, part of Thame’s Water’s Water Resource Management ...

cpreoxon.org.uk

1

CPRE Oxfordshire @cpreoxfordshire.bsky.social · Jul 17

Oxfordshire hit with a hosepipe ban despite reservoir levels being at 95% capacity. Meanwhile Thames Water lost 200 billion litres of water last year alone through water leaks - equivalent to 570 million litres a day!

www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/2531839...

Oxfordshire hosepipe ban raises reservoir question as London let off lightly

Oxfordshire residents are being hit with a hosepipe ban despite our reservoir levels being at greater capacity than in London.

www.oxfordmail.co.uk

1

CPRE Oxfordshire @cpreoxfordshire.bsky.social · Jul 8

We'll be joining thousands in Westminster on 9 July to meet our MPs and stand for a fairer, healthier, safer future. 🌱💚

Join us!
www.theclimatecoalition.org/act-now-chan...
#ActNowChangeForever

ACT NOW, CHANGE FOREVER

On 9th July, thousands people from every corner of the UK will come to Westminster to tell our MPs: this is a moment for leadership that protects what matters most — our health, our nature, our commun...

www.theclimatecoalition.org

CPRE Oxfordshire @cpreoxfordshire.bsky.social · Jul 4

Light pollution damages wildlife, disrupting and killing insects, bats and migrating birds, and can also disrupt human sleep leading to long-term health problems. It is also one form of pollution that we can instantly stop.
Oxon residents, take part in this survey...
letstalk.oxfordshire.gov.uk/pnl

Part-night lighting and street lighting policy

Help us to develop street lighting proposals that are right for Oxfordshire Oxfordshire County Council operates approximately 60,000 streetlights across the county. Part-night lighting is an approach ...

letstalk.oxfordshire.gov.uk

1