Lobby your MP to ensure Boris pledge to protect countryside becomes law

We are thrilled that Boris Johnson announced at the Conservative party conference this week that all new building developments should take place "not on green fields" but on "brownfield sites in places where homes make sense”. His speech was the most encouraging sign yet for campaigns like Don't Urbanise the Downs which is fighting to stop Eton College from building a huge 3,000-house new town in beautiful, unspoilt Sussex countryside on the edge of the South Downs National Park. Johnson said new building shouldn't be just "jammed in the southeast" but provide "housing in the right place at an affordable price."

What can I do now?
Get your MP to confirm they will hold Johnson to his word - and ensure that the new Planning Bill propritises brownfield site development. We must protect our countryside, our farming land, our wildlife habitats and our invaluable green spaces – and we need our MPs' support. We've drafted an email template for Lewes MP Maria Caulfield. Simply click this link to email Maria – maria.caulfield.mp@parliament.uk - or adapt the email template to message your own MP. To find contact details for your local MP, click here.

CPRE response
Johnson's announcement was welcomed by the countryside charity CPREwhich said: "‘The Prime Minister could not be more explicit – there is no reason to allow the countryside and local green spaces to be opened up to unscrupulous developers building unaffordable homes.’"