CPRE Wiltshire - The Countryside Charity

28/10/2026

Innovation, Resilience, and Community: Looking Back at the Laverstock Hedgerow Project.

Innovation, Resilience, and Community: The Laverstock Hedgerow Project
In 2022, CPRE Wiltshire approached the Devenish Bradshaw Charitable Trust with an ambitious idea for a collaborative hedgerow project. While our initial joint bid for national funding wasn't successful, we refused to let a great conservation idea wither away. CPRE Wiltshire stepped in with local funding to launch a scaled-down version of the project.

Three years later, we are incredibly proud of the results.

Thanks to this funding and the tireless dedication of the Trust’s volunteers, over 1,000 young trees were planted. This beautiful new green corridor lines the popular permissive path crossing the Laverstock Water Meadows—a route used daily by hundreds of school children and residents.

The journey wasn't easy. Volunteers spent months planting saplings and protecting them using entirely natural materials like brambles, brash sticks, and mulch. They returned season after season to w**d the area and shield the young trees from grazing cattle.

The elements also put the project to the test. Despite early wet months, the following years brought two historic droughts. Because Alder—a species that thrives in wet habitats—was the dominant tree, the dry spells spelled potential disaster.

However, excellent stewardship and nature found a way. The moisture-retaining ancient water meadow soils, combined with meticulous mulching and w**ding, kept the hedge thriving. As a bonus, the protective willow brash sprouted its own shoots, creating a double-thickness hedge.

This success arrives at a critical moment. Established Ash trees along the path verge have sadly been devastated by Ash dieback. Without this flourishing new hedgerow, local walkers would be left completely exposed to the extreme weather events that are becoming all too common.

This partnership is a shining example of how local determination, innovative ecological thinking, and community spirit can protect our green spaces. A huge thank you to everyone at the Devenish Bradshaw Charitable Trust for turning this vision into a resilient, living reality.

28/10/2026

🌿 Changing How We Garden: An Evening of Ideas & Inspiration

Join us for a special evening celebrating gardens, landscape and the future of garden design.

We’re delighted to welcome Mary Keen and Catherine Fitzgerald, two of Britain and Ireland’s most distinctive voices in garden design, for an inspiring conversation exploring how our gardens are evolving.

🌱 Mary Keen is an internationally renowned garden designer, writer and lecturer, and author of seven books. Her work celebrates gardens with character, atmosphere and a natural sense of belonging. She has recently appeared on Gardeners World.

🌿 Catherine Fitzgerald is a landscape designer working across Britain and Ireland. Her nature-inspired designs blend heritage, strong structure and romantic, naturalistic planting to create gardens connected to their surroundings.

Together, they’ll explore traditional gardens, naturalistic planting, heritage and the challenges of a changing climate — and how we can create beautiful, enduring outdoor spaces.

📚 Signed copies of Mary’s latest book, *Diary of a Keen Gardener*, will be available to purchase.

🎟️ Whether you’re a passionate gardener or simply love the landscape, join us for an evening of ideas and inspiration.

Book your tickets here and includes a glass of w**e:
https://www.ticketsource.com/the-campaign-to-protect-rural-england-wiltshire

28/10/2026

Amazing nine year old, speaking up for the next generation!

27/10/2026

The government wants to lift the Land Registry paywall, giving councils and public bodies free access to land ownership data.

Yet some landowners, who have historically been reluctant to make their holdings public, may push back.

Our finite land supply is facing an unprecedented squeeze. Knowing who owns what will help us make the most of every hectare, whether for homes, infrastructure, food or nature’s recovery.

📣 Now is the time to have your say, the consultation is open for 8 weeks -

https://bit.ly/4sokZOM

27/10/2026

🚨 “An enormous rash” of housing estates is blighting Wiltshire!

Our volunteer campaigner Ken McCall has challenged Wiltshire’s housing developments, warning that car-based estates are threatening the character of our countryside, market towns and historic places.

🏡 With more development on the way and housing targets rising, what future do we want for rural Wiltshire?

👇 Read the full story in the Swindon Advertiser.

https://www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/news/26656614.enormous-rash-housing-estates-blighting-wiltshire/

27/10/2026

Solar panels installed over the car park at Melksham Community Campus are expected to generate around a fifth of the site’s electricity needs.

Read more about this scheme here.

Solar panels installed over the car park at Melksham Community Campus are expected to generate around a fifth of the site’s electricity needs. The £346,000 project by Wiltshire Council will see the canopy generate up to 100,000kWh of electricity a year, helping to reduce the campus’s reliance o...

25/10/2026

Did you remember to put your clocks back?

British Summer Time (BST), also known as Daylight Saving Time (DST), came to an end this morning at 02:00 BST, as the clocks go back an hour.

Sunset will move forward an hour and initially you may notice the sun coming up earlier too.

The clocks don't go forward again until on Sunday 28 March 2027.

Find out more about Daylight saving here . . .
https://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/articles/c6grvpd4295vo

24/10/2026

Update on save Lime Down!

Lime Down Solar Project – Examination Complete

The Examining Authority has now completed its examination of the application for the proposed Lime Down Solar Project.

The Examining Authority’s findings and conclusions, along with its recommendation, will be submitted to the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero no later than 21 January 2027.

A letter confirming the completion of the examination has been published on the National Infrastructure Planning website . . .
https://national-infrastructure-consenting.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/projects/EN010168

This marks the end of the examination stage, with the findings, conclusions and recommendation now due to be passed to the Secretary of State for consideration as part of the next stage of the process.

Further updates will be shared as more information becomes available.

23/10/2026

Data centres risk a land crisis like never before.

And the current rush to build them isn't just down to ordinary demand. It's also being driven by the race to build AI capacity.

The government's own projections expect AI to make up around 70% of UK data centre capacity by 2035.

AI could help us with some of our biggest challenges, but not without cost. Massive, energy- and water-hungry developments need challenge, not a free pass.

Data centres need to be in the right place, with proper rules and high environmental standards. No ifs, not buts.

Are you with us?
Add your name - https://takeaction.cpre.org.uk/page/202216/petition/

22/10/2026

The UK government has approved production from the Jackdaw gas field in the North Sea amid intense debate about the project's environmental and economic impact.

Ministers said the first gas could be produced by the end of this month, helping heat millions of homes, and also announced the creation of a new energy wealth fund.

But environmental campaigners said the decision would hamper efforts to tackle climate change and make "no meaningful difference" to UK energy security.

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch accused the prime minister of "dithering" on Jackdaw and said a ban on new oil and gas licences should be repealed - but Andy Burnham said her party had "messed up" the original decision.

Jackdaw is situated 150 miles (241km) east of Aberdeen and is operated by Adura, a joint venture between Shell and Norwegian state energy firm Equinor.

A decision is yet to be taken on whether production can begin at Rosebank, the UK's largest known untapped oil field, which is located off the coast of Shetland in the North Atlantic.

Read more here . . . https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cy4zdgk081eo

Let us know your thoughts!