Thank you for your continued support for this incredible charity! Without you...were would we be?
It's neither easy nor glamorous being the chair of a charity. When the proverbial hits the fan - the Chair is the one in the firing line, or the one working late into the night to sort out problems. It's hard work and unpaid, often frustrating, frequently disheartening yet it takes just one 'phone call from a member we've helped to make it all worthwhile!
The title sounds rather important and grand but the reality is you have to be prepared to work above and beyond. It requires commitment and dedication. There are times, I'll be honest when it would be so much easier to say ENOUGH! But you can't! Whilst ever there is a great North Yorkshire countryside to protect and enhance, there's a job to do and … we do have the most outstandingly beautiful county.
We've spent the last two years turning CPRENY round, bringing it in line with the charity commission and our own national organisations guidelines. We've restructured, streamlined and removed any unnecessary costs.
In 2018, we start the year as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation. This creates a much more accountable and professional charity. It's something we have worked hard to achieve and something we're incredibly proud of and will ensure that we are able to provide an even better service to our members.
Charities are changing, charities need to change. We all have to move forwards with transparency and clarity. CPRE across the country is a most worthy organisation, we don't have fluffy rabbits to hold up, cute images of dogs, children or even rock stars promoting what we do (although, if there are any rock stars out there -do please call 01729850567!)
We have just the one thing - the countryside!
There are too many people who call our office, in tears because their homes, their way of life and everything they have worked hard for is being threatened - usually by some faceless organisation that benefits financially from the destruction of green fields but harps on about the development being good for the people! Well it's time they listened to those people because - most of the time, most of the people just don't want it and can't see the justification.
Planning with it's laws, bureaucracy and policies is just a nightmare for the average person. It all boils down to three or five minutes. That's all someone has when faced with a contentious application. Actually they are lucky if they get their five minutes because only one person is usually allowed to speak on behalf of objectors. Too many authorities view objectors as nimby's and discount them. If you're lucky enough to get your five minutes, there is the problem that whilst those on committees may seem to listen - some don't hear what you have to say.
So for 2018, we shall continue to campaign to protect and enhance North Yorkshire and try to make the people who make decisions HEAR us.
As chair this year, I spoke at a luncheon - I told the audience that we tried to speak out for the countryside, to give it a voice. One former councillor asked what right we had to think we represented the countryside. My response was simple - we have the same right as you when you decide on it's future!
We're growing stronger daily and we are determined and dedicated. We know, those who are hell bent on destroying the countryside try to discredit us individually, to make out we're problem causers or have our own agendas. Well, we do - our agenda is to fight for the protection and enhancement of North Yorkshire and whether they like or not, we're here to stay.
This organisation has been campaigning for over 90 years. We're professional, objective and reasoned. We use logic to comment on planning applications and refuse to lie down because we're told that we need to put 5,000 houses somewhere because “the computer says so!”
There needs to be less panic and hysteria about housebuilding. Put the right homes, in the right places at the right time where there is a real need. Use what we have wisely. One brilliant CPRENY volunteer said recently;
‘where are all these homeless exekertives? We seem to be building thousands of executive homes but I've never seen one homeless executive wandering the streets with his home on his back begging for change.’
England has teachers, a police, fire and ambulance service, a national health service, shop workers, actors, singers, students, factory workers…. AND executives but the focus is only on the latter.
Affordable homes are needed. That need is desperate. If a developer promises to build affordable homes to get planning approval then that developer should be made to build them. Yet, time and time again, they go back to the planners once they have they permission and moan that they can't afford to build the affordable quota because of unforeseen issues. They say they can only afford to build the executive homes. That's just bad business planning. If you can't work out the risks of a proposal you need to find alternative employment because you're quite obviously not very good at your job.
CPRENY knows we have to build. We know we can build homes in North Yorkshire. We also know that we can do this whilst enhancing and protecting the countryside for this generation and the next.
As the CEO of Persimmon Homes - a volume house builder is set to start receiving his £109 million bonus - yes £109 MILLION, he's one executive who won't need an executive home building and could probably provide all the affordable homes we need in the county just from his pocket.
CPRENY are closing down for the holiday period however, urgent issues will be responded to - if your problem is urgent please email cprecraven@me.com