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Thursday 23rd April 2009 –St George’s Day - 7.30pm

CPRE Bedfordshire AGM at Silsoe Village Hall

At our AGM Geoff Lambert was re-elected as our Branch Chair, together with Alan Apling as Treasurer and officers Peter Scott, Barry Halton and Tom Harding. Phill Snell has had to resign as Transport Officer owing to pressures of work.

Download the Trustees Report 2008   (PDF 52KB).

Following the meeting, two excellent illustrated presentations were given by Alison Myers and Alyson Greenstone.

Illustration - Alison Myers with a good audience at the CPRE Beds AGM - click for a full size view

Alison Myers discussed how the Changing Landscape of our county is a continual process with the greatest level of changes since World War II being in the 1960s and 70s, with field enlargement, loss of hedgerows, dutch elm disease and poor integration of development. In the 1980s the County Council led a major ‘Landscape and Wildlife Review’ and developed other strategies for managing the countryside, setting up a number of projects across the county out of which have emerged bodies like the Greensand Trust. In more recent years, the County Council has produced its extensive Landscape Character Assessment. This study is an invaluable tool for helping councils refer to the quality of the countryside when making planning decisions so that the full range of landscapes can be considered. Alison described how the effect of the Growth Areas over the next twenty years would be partly mitigated by the Green Infrastructure Plan that will ensure access to green places alongside the housing and industrial development.

Illustration - Alyson Greenstone describes her farm - CPRE Beds AGM - click for a full size view

Alyson Greenstone described the 250 acres traditional mixed farm in Wilden run by her partner Jack Pell whose family has owned the farm for three generations. Set in a valley crossed by a brook, it includes a 100 year old grass field which on other farms might have been ploughed up for more lucrative crops but now is precious, owing to its variety of old grasses. The arable fields are sown in rotation with wheat, barley, beans. Around them are old hedgerows. Livestock includes a suckler herd-calves are bred annually and sold on to beef farmers. In winter, the cattle are kept in a traditional open yard which attracts bats and insect-eating birds. Antibiotics are hardly used. Alyson compared how in the 1990s farmers were subsidised according to the quantity they grew. Since 2005, under the Single Farm Payment from the European Union, farmers have to comply with a raft of directives, known as the Good Agricultural and Environmental Conditions, according to how they look after the countryside. In addition Natural England runs two Stewardship schemes, designed to enhance the countryside. At Wilden, the farm is now supported over a ten year period under the Higher Level Stewardship (HKS), a scheme that is tailor made to suit the farm. They have to manage the hedgerows in distinctive ways, maintain existing woodland, create buffer strips around the arable fields with prescriptive grasses to attract certain insects or wild birds as well as for other uses. The scheme also pays to maintain the 50 acre species rich grass field. A permissive bridleway round the farm has also been created allowing 45 mns of off road riding.

Members were so interested in this farm that we hope to arrange a visit in 2010.

Saturday 16 May 2009

Young Farmers’ Club Annual Rally, Toddington

On 16 May, several stalwart volunteers and the Development Officer spent the day at the annual Young Farmers Show at Herne Farm, Toddington. Despite the wind and rain, there was a large crowd and we talked to many visitors. Our stand also featured a banner advertising our new Living Countryside Awards. As a record of the day, Local News TV made a video which features an interview with Ann Collett-White

Illustration - Volunteers Peter Scott and Helen Roper at the CPRE Beds stand - click for a full size view

Thursday 25 June 2009

Barton Hill Conservation Farm Walk

Click individual images to enlarge. Images © CPRE Bedfordshire

The walk was an outstanding success with an attendance of 65, numbers boosted by great promotion in the local press. Brian Shaw has been running the family farm for many years and has recently been joined by his daughter Whizz, a geography graduate. The farmland on the Barton hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) also includes a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). In recent years, about 30 ha of Barton Farmland have been left to remain un-cropped under two environmental schemes – Natural England’s Entry and Higher Level Stewardship (E.L.S & HLS).

The evening was extremely well organised, with the introduction by Brian explaining the uses of his four main crops (wheat, barley, oilseed rape and field beans), i.e. barley for brewing, oil see rape for vegetable oils and bio-fuels. We had an extensive tour of his farmland, showing the variety of wildlife which has been encouraged in recent years i.e. Lapwings and Skylarks and witnessing the beautiful blue Vipers Bugloss which has suddenly bloomed on grassland formerly grazed by sheep.

Steve Halton, ecologist and Countryside Officer with Central Bedfordshire, added interesting details on the wildlife and plants. Matthew O’ Brien local co- ordinator for the Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group (FWAG) who has been guiding Brian in making use of the environmental schemes, explained that giving over so much land for conservation management has only been possible because of the farm’s well established commercial base.

The evening concluded with tea and cakes generously provided by the Shaw family while £175 were raised for Macmillan Nurses.

Locaton: Barton Hill Farm, Lilley, Luton, Beds, LU2 8NF

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Monday 28 September 2009

The planning system and how to use it to influence local development!

All-day training and practical guidance from expert planning consultant, Michael Brooks. Especially useful for Parish Councils, but also for anyone interested in protecting their local community when faced with planning applications. It follows last year’s highly informative day at which one councillor remarked: “It was very, very good. I think more of the Parish Council should attend if CPRE runs it again.”

Cost per delegate – incl. sandwich lunch & drinks: CPRE members (1 per affiliated group) £25.00, additional group members £35.00. Non-members: £50.00

Booking essential.

Application forms can be downloaded here (PDF 120KB) or are available from the office Tel 01234 353331 or email us at info@cprebeds.org.uk

Locaton: At the Rufus Centre, Steppingley Rd, Flitwick, Bedford, MK45 1AH

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Thursday 3 December 7.00-9.00 pm

Presentation of our Living Countryside Awards

Presentation of our Living Countryside Awards by Nicholas Crane, well known television presenter of BBC's Coast and Map Man series, award-winning author and journalist, expert cartographer, historian and explorer with a passion for the English countryside. We are delighted to welcome him to Bedfordshire.

To pre- purchase tickets download, complete and return to CPRE Bedfordshire the booking form   PDF 44KB.

Alternatively telephone on 01234 353331 or contact us by email

Location: Milton House Barn, Milton Ernest, MK44 1RL by kind permission of Clifton J C Ibbett