Report & Comment

2025 saw the hottest summer on record: drought conditions, reduced harvest yields to their lowest for 5 years, winter feed stock already being fed to supplement for hungry livestock short of pasture, and since then we have had record-breaking rainfall followed by widespread and devastating flooding of farmland. With the knock-on effect toward even greater food inflation and a UK Government policy apparently tilting against farming and business communities in both the Treasury and DEFRA. Furthermore, neither seem to be aware of how essential British Agriculture’s role is in National Food Security, landscape management, nature recovery, productivity and profitability: all necessary for delivering a thriving rural economy. So a difficult starting point to identifying what sustainable farming is – often

The Local Plan which was the over-arching policy planning framework from 2016 to 2030 is now (Spring 2026) considered ‘not in date’ since it does not provide for the required number of new housing in Cornwall. As such, Conservation measures fall more heavily on Internationally and Nationally recognised statutory bodies. Protection of Designated Sites Planning policy provides a high level of protection to internationally and nationally important sites, including: Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty: AONBs in Cornwall have the same level of protection as National Parks and in fact they are now to be known as National Landscapes. Planning decisions within these areas must “conserve and enhance” their natural beauty and character, with a strong presumption against major development. Protected

The Government’s English Devolution Bill is currently at the Report stage in the House of Lords. Since the white paper was published in December 2024 there has been ongoing fiscal devolution including two new Mayoral Strategic Authorities and two new foundation strategic authorities including Devon and Torbay. Plymouth City Council has already unilaterally voted for a ‘Devonwall’ strategic authority to meet Government criteria of a population of 1.5 million to ensure additional powers and funding; and while the previous Conservative Cornwall Council rejected this, the new Liberal Democrat/Independent Council have written to Government asking for Cornwall to be recognised as the UK’s fifth nation. Government is keen on strategic authorities of two or more local authorities coming together, based on

Our changing climate is the biggest and most urgent problem we all face. It is the perennial elephant in the room when any other important concerns are discussed. If food and housing for humans or the natural environment are under discussion, it is the first threat. Great efforts to plan for its mitigation have been proposed and discussed, but they are constantly being watered down or just filed and forgotten as those with vested interests in the most damaging materials and methods put pressure to bear. We at the grass roots look about bewildered, asking, ‘What can we do?’ We must do anything at all that helps, from the smallest efforts at home to campaigning for action by those with

Both government and the public agree that we must combat climate change by rapidly building more new renewables – solar farms, wind turbines, battery storage etc. The tricky questions are where to put them, and how to select the best trade-off between their visual impact and the necessity to protect our vital agriculture and landscapes, as well as other commercial interests. Development has been rapid. First, before 2010, came more onshore wind applications, then solar and offshore wind from about 2012. There was a short pause between 2015 and 2018 as conservationists objected. Finally the upsurge exploded as the climate threat clarified, the government responded and then entrepreneurs pounced. These renewables now usually complement each other – for instance, in

These are vital issues for the wellbeing of the planet and of us. Raising awareness and campaigning on them at every opportunity is a central aim for CPRE. In general, people are in favour of conservation with its corollary biodiversity and since the first decade or so of the 21st century the terms have become closely mixed in with the language of other big ‘green’ issues around climate change. There is an obvious overlap with the big Climate Change problem of how to capture more carbon through woods, wetlands and peat. The care of our natural world and the myriad lives lived in it have become important to a great many people – one could almost say ‘most people’ –

Two major Mandatory Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) requirements have been adopted by Cornwall Council. It has been a leader in implementing BNG, mandating a minimum of a 10% net gain for all major planning applications since 2020, ahead of the national requirement. This was extended to minor developments in 2024. In 2023 The Climate Emergency Development Plan Document (DPD) which implements important measures for bio-diversity was adopted. These measures aim to restore natural habitat while addressing climate change and loss of ecology. This is a stand-alone adopted document and should be considered in planning decisions regardless of the out-of- date Local Plan. The document can be found on the Cornwall Council website under Climate Emergency Development Plan Document. Conservation Measures:Green