When did you last see the Milky Way, that pale band which appears to arch across the night sky, formed from many billions of stars which make up our own galaxy?
Our view of the stars is a source of infinite amazement for scientists and casual observers alike. Once again this year CPRE is asking people from all across the country to become citizen scientists and join in with its Star Count. Choose a clear night between February 6th and 14th, look up at the constellation of Orion and let CPRE know how many stars you can spot.

Proposed Dacorum Local Plan has unnecessarily high impact on the Green Belt

We need to protect our countryside from inappropriate development and ensure that it is managed efficiently for the benefit of all of us.

Dacorum Borough Council (DBC) is currently holding a public consultation on their proposed Local Plan, titled “Emerging Strategy for Growth 2020 – 2038”.  If adopted, this plan will result in the destruction of 850 hectares of Hertfordshire Green Belt land and countryside for development, including a minimum of 16,596 new dwellings. CPRE Hertfordshire believes that the calculation of housing numbers is too high and that opportunities to recycle land that has already been developed have not been fully considered.

Our concerns are set out in detail in the attached document “CPRE Herts review of DBC Local Plan” and an overall assessment on the impact to the Green Belt is summarized in “CPRE Herts Impact Assessment – Dacorum Local Plan”.

We would encourage you to review this material and use it to help develop your response to the local plan. Your views need to be submitted by Sunday 28^th February using one of the following;

• An online and downloadable questionnaire https://consult.dacorum.gov.uk/kse
• By post to:  Strategic Planning, Dacorum Borough Council. The Forum, Marlowes, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire. HP1 1DN
• By email to:This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Dacorum Borough Council have issued the consultation on the proposed Local Plan which the Council has recently published. It’s called the ‘Emerging Strategy for Growth’ (2020-2038) consultation and contains very alarming proposals which will threaten large areas of Dacorum’s Green Belt and the countryside.

See below to read the full letter that we have sent to members in the Borough

Submission of Amended Environmental Statement : Appeal by Stansted Airport Limited (STAL) against refusal of application for Airfield works comprising two new taxiway links to the existing runway (a Rapid Access Taxiway and a Rapid Exit Taxiway), six additional remote aircraft stands (adjacent Yankee taxiway); and three additional aircraft stands (extension of the Echo Apron) to enable combined airfield operations of 274,000 aircraft movements (of which not more than 16,000 movements would be Cargo Air Transport Movements (CATM)) and a throughput of 43 million terminal passengers, in a 12-month calendar period.

Peter Waine, Honorary Vice President of CPRE Hertfordshire and former National Chairman of CPRE, has written a new book "As I Go A Wandering".  Peter lives locally and his charming book features his prose, poetry and paintings about the local walks from his doorstep.  He urges readers to get outdoors and discover the countryside right around the corner from where they live.  And we're delighted that Peter's book helps to publicise CPRE's ongoing work to protect, promote and enhance the Hertfordshire countryside for everyone to enjoy.  "As I Go A Wandering" makes an ideal Christmas gift and is available to buy (£9.99 regular retail price) from bookstores and online.

Our volunteer Elizabeth Hamilton has been photographing some of the wildlife in her garden. She has produced these guides to help you connect with the wildlife you might encounter in your garden or out in parks and the countryside.

CPRE Hertfordshire Children’s Art Competition

The original theme for our Annual Children’s Art Competition was My Favourite Walk in Hertfordshire. The competition was launched to all Primary schools in the county in the hope they would set it as a class project and send the original artwork to the office for judging.

We are pleased to publish our latest newsletter "Winter 2020" available as a download. Please enjoy reading our latest news and we would appreciate any feedback to enable us to improve this newsletter. Read the newsletter here:

CPRE Hertfordshire is publishing the result of a careful analysis of the latest household projections from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and of the impact of the proposed new standard method of calculating annual housing numbers.