A new poll by More in Common, for CPRE, reveals that 86% of Britons support Green Belt and three-quarters of young people want more of the UK countryside protected, though most don’t trust leaders to deliver on this.
The poll uncovered near-universal support for protecting the countryside. 75% of Britons want existing measures to protect specific areas of land to be strengthened, while less than 2% want to see them reduced.
When choosing where to live, 73% of people prioritise proximity to the countryside, a higher proportion than those who favour areas with low council tax or access to good schools. And 91% think the countryside is something that makes Britain special.
But people don’t trust political leaders to reflect these values. The results show Sir Keir Starmer has a net trust rating of –40% on safeguarding the countryside. The next lowest is Nigel Farage, with a rating of –28%.
For 100 years, CPRE has stood up for the countryside, from campaigning for the first Green Belts and National Parks to winning protections for hedgerows and championing better planning. This new research reveals that a connection to the countryside remains an intrinsic part of British life.
The countryside is facing growing and unprecedented pressures from climate and nature emergencies, poorly planned development and new infrastructure that wastes the UK’s finite supply of land.
This research reveals strong public appetite for solutions that work for people, nature and the nation alike. An overwhelming 86% of people consider Green Belt protections important, while 68% believe the amount of land protected for nature and wellbeing should be increased. Support for the latter is particularly strong among young people, with 76% of 18–24-year-olds backing increased protections, the highest of any age group.
With plentiful suitable brownfield land available, 84% of people believe it is possible to build the homes the UK needs while safeguarding the countryside for future generations. The findings amount to an overwhelming rejection of false choices between housing and environmental protection.
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Roger Mortlock, Chief Executive of CPRE, said: ‘In the 100 years since CPRE was founded there has been one constant: the British public treasures the countryside and wants to see it better protected for future generations. The fact that three-quarters of young people want more land protected shows this isn’t nostalgia — it’s about securing a sustainable future for us all.
‘Despite that, trust in political leaders to stand up for the countryside is low and an area of green fields equivalent to a small city is lost to development every year. Too often the loss of countryside is a choice, not a necessity, with untapped solutions that don’t require us to sacrifice our green spaces.
‘The public has decisively rejected the false choice between building homes and protecting the countryside. With enough brownfield land in England alone for 1.4 million homes, we can meet housing needs while strengthening protections for the landscapes people value so highly.
‘We urgently need political leadership that matches public ambition and safeguards our countryside for everyone.’
Sophie Stowers, Research Manager at More in Common, said: ‘This research shows that the countryside is a cherished part of British life, with many seeing it as a source of national pride with benefits for their health and wellbeing. They want to ensure that future generations can enjoy those benefits too, but barriers to access, like cost or lack of transport, declining trust in political leaders and development, are making this goal harder to achieve.
‘At the same time, affordable housing is widely regarded as one of the country’s most pressing issues. While many Britons think it’s important to safeguard the countryside, they also think we must balance this with addressing the housing crisis.
‘At a time where politics is increasingly divided, protecting the countryside is cross-generational, cross-party priority. What’s clear is that the public want the government to go further in protecting Britain’s green spaces — and that they don’t buy the idea that the government has to make a choice between tackling the housing crisis and doing so.’
