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One of the greatest threats to Britain's remaining countryside and to the quality of life in both urban and rural areas is the simple fact that Britain has the highest population density of any major European country and it is expected to get significantly worse over the next 20 years.
Until this population pressure is removed, our environment in this country will worsen. While the growth growth of the indigenous population has almost halted, out total numbers are expected to grow by over five million during the next 20 years, chiefly as a result of immigration.
This will put pressure on housing and roads, which will mean the loss of more of our countryside, the destruction of green belt area and worsenign traffic and pollution in our cities.
Many environmental factors are made worse by deliberate government policies over the last 20 years. Instead of seeking a first class rail service to take people and freight off the roads, they have simply sold it off and hoped for the best - which rapidly turned into the worst.
During the first half of the last century the most important use of our rural areas was the production of sufficient food to feed the nation However successive governments have failed to accept the change in the countryside and to adapt policy accordingly. Ther eis now a wonderful opportunity to move to slightly less intensive farming with a reduction in the use of chemicals and away from agri-business. Rural communities have suffered from the depredations of agri-business and the lack of interest by governments, leading to the loss of local facilities such as schools, post offices, etc.
A revival of rural communities could be helped by direct governmment action in ensuring the provisionof such services and also by way of encouraging urban dwellers to spend time (and money) in rural areas.
1. Halt all further immigration and reject bogus asylum seekers at the port of entry.
2. Protect our existing green areas and green belt and seek to expand their numbers and size in urban areas.
3. Rejuvenate agricultural and rural life.
4. Introduce a proper nationla transport policy with a rail service owned directly and entirely by a new government corporation.
5. Increase public access to the countryside and introduce new walkways alongside roads so that people can regain the right to safely walk in the countryside.
6. Encourage less chemically intensive agriculture and help smaller farms.
7. Encourage smaller local businesses, thus reducing the distance between producer and consumer which leads to much of the goods traffic on our roads (and across the world).