Countryside could face 'death by cuts'

In a manifesto designed to push countryside issues up the political agenda ahead of the General Election, the CPRE calls for an end to areas of green belt being "nibbled away" at their edges and for new areas of protected land to be established.

To cut litter, the next government is urged to set up a national deposit scheme for drinks containers to give customers an incentive to return them rather than simply throwing them away.

Ben Stafford, head of campaigns at the CPRE, said: "Too often, the environment and the countryside seem to disappear off the political radar in the heat of a general election campaign.

"But millions of people live, work in, and visit the countryside, and millions are members of groups that want their leaders to protect precious areas of beauty and tranquillity from excessive development, neglect and mismanagement.

"We can't afford the countryside to go missing in this election. If it does, the chances are it won't be a priority for whichever party forms the next Government. We all need to vote for the countryside in 2010, before it's too late."

The CPRE will urge politicians to build more on brownfield land and invest "heavily" in low carbon travel, particularly in rural areas.

It says the next government should champion national parks and areas of outstanding natural beauty which should become "no-go areas" for "intrusive" development.

Action on litter and fly-tipping is a particular issue amid with demands for politicians to show leadership to "prevent us drowning under an ever-rising tide of rubbish".