Archived News December 2002 Countryside News from 2002 Dec 31st An Overview by Countrylife UK's festive waste could reach 3m tonnes Dec 30th Make it a recycling Christmas Country life returns to normal Dec 29th A look back at the rural year in Wales 2002 Charles calls for 'buy British' order Dec 28th Prince Charles has called for all public bodies in the UK to be ordered to "buy British". . Blair to woo anti-hunt MPs Dec 27th The prime minister is reported to be planning to woo anti-hunt MPs by making changes to a hunting bill which could end the blood sport. Boxing Day hunts reopen bitter debate Dec 26th Anti-hunt protesters and hunt supporters are expected to be out in force as the traditional Boxing Day hunts get under way across the country. New team for Cumbrian rural recovery Dec 25th A new board has been formed to help Cumbria continue to fight back after the effects of the foot-and-mouth outbreak in 2001. Local people to have voice in rural review Dec 25th The views of local people on how the Government can improve delivery of rural policies will play a central part in Lord Haskins’ Rural Delivery Review, a detailed “scoping report” has confirmed. Burglar 'sues farmer' Dec 23rd The farmer jailed for the manslaughter of a 16-year-old burglar is reportedly being sued for up to £15,000 by one of the people who broke in to his home. Tourist howlers revealed Dec 23rd "Is Dorking something English people do?" Villagers oppose asylum centre plan Dec 23rdThe villagers at Caythorpe near Grantham in Lincolnshire are forming an action group to fight any plans to house asylum seekers nearby. 'Ghost village' hosts wedding Dec 22nd An isolated Wiltshire church, in the heart of Salisbury Plain, is the venue for a wedding blessing for the first time since 1943. New guides promote local food Dec 21st The eight guides titled 'Eating the view' - show how you can benefit the countryside and our rural communities Online Advice for Green Enterprises Dec 20th The Environment Agency has gone online to advise rural businesses on how to be more environmentally-friendly. Final bell rings for rural school Dec 19th The fight to save a village school in Pembrokeshire where children have been taught since 1870 is lost as the gates close for the last time Rural campaigners fear homes plan Dec 19th Proposals to build thousands of new homes in the south-east England countryside have been criticised as "shocking" by rural campaigners Countryside In The Firing Line For Roads And Traffic Dec 18th The Government's transport policies could see the countryside facing at least 21% traffic growth, 16% more congestion and threats from a major new road building programme COUNTRYSIDE CAMPAIGNERS EXPOSE THE WEAKEST LINK Dec 18th Some developers set out to cheat local planners and local communities - and all too often they can get away with it UK hits back at farm disease critics Dec 18th The UK Government has hit back at the European Parliament's damning criticisms of how it handled the foot-and-mouth crisis. Residents to petition over phone mast Dec 18th Residents of a village near Leeds are calling on the city council to take "decisive action" against a mobile phone company building a mast in the area. Hunting vote sparks angry scenes Dec 17th The government's Hunting Bill cleared its first Commons hurdle amid angry scenes outside parliament Hedgehog cull decision due Dec 17th Controversial plans to slaughter 5,000 hedgehogs in the Outer Hebrides are expected to get the backing of a government body Rural outlets struggle for survival Dec 17th Rural areas are especially hard-hit by a decline in local shops and services MPs to debate hunting plans Dec 16th MPs are to consider the government's proposals for hunting with dogs - with the minister in charge of the area stressing that the stalemate over the issue must be broken. Rural decline threatens 'ghost town Britain' Dec 16th Many of Britain's rural centres are destined to become ghost towns, according to a new report. Rural restaurant's stamp of approval Dec 16th A Chinese takeaway is to take over as the post office in a rural Derbyshire village.. Eden offers taste of rural broadband Dec 15th Broadband providers such as BT should take note of a community network that will provide super fast net services at a low cost. 'Energetic community' named village of year Dec 15th The village of Sutton, near Ely, in Cambridgeshire is named Village of the Year in a national competition. Sutton Village website Church Fights Licensing Bill Dec 14th The Church of England and the Countryside Alliance are campaigning for the amendment of a Bill which will enforce rural churches, holding community events and concerts, to pay steep licences. KEEPING IT REAL AT CHRISTMAS Dec 13th The Forestry Commission sell around 100,000 Christmas trees in Britain each year and has produced a free information pack and website with handy hints on keeping real trees over the festive period Public 'turned off by e-government' Dec 13th Websites that give details on services such as transport, housing and education need to be more accessible and convenient to members of the public Farming reform Dec 13th The government has published a new strategy setting out a way forward for Britain's food and farming industry Countryside Agency ... Delivering the strategy must be the priority DEFRA's page on Sustainable farming & food Number 10's page on Sustainable farming & food DARLING'S DINOSAUR ROADS - DEVASTATING FOR THE COUNTRYSIDE Dec 12th CPRE says 'New road building didn't solve the transport crisis before and it won't again. We're on the road to nowhere with more traffic and less countryside.' Rural Police Concerns over Funding Dec 11th The Government's new financial package for the rural police authorities is not enough, according to senior police officers. Winning bids for green travel cash Dec 11th Fourteen councils will share a fund for schemes promoting environmentally-friendly travel. They will each receive up to £50,000 to put their ideas into practice. Decision due on hedgehog cull Dec 11th Scientists are recommending the go ahead for a humane cull of hedgehogs who are being blamed for the death of birds in the Western Isles. Residents protest over phone mast Dec 11th Residents living in a village near Leeds are battling to stop a mobile phone mast being built Advance Briefing: DEFRA Strategy for Sustainable Farming and Food Dec 10th CPRE believes that a successful farming and food strategy must identify key priorities Working towards rural inclusion Dec 9th A fifth of people who live in the English countryside, live in poverty. Village objections prompt mast rethink Dec 7th A series of blockades force a rethink over the site of an unpopular telecommunications mast in a village in north Cornwall Broadband boost for rural areas Dec 6th Rural areas of the North have moved a step closer to seeing quicker internet connection for their communities. Police 'delighted' with rural volunteers Dec 6th An experiment in south Norfolk using volunteers at rural police stations could spread to the rest of the county. Pole dancing club for village Dec 6th A pole-dancing club opens in a picturesque Wiltshire village, amid complaints from residents. Planning Bill to overhaul system - No 10's information Dec 6th Steps to get local people more involved in the planning process are set out in a new Bill Positive planning for England's rural communities Dec 5th The Government's Planning & Compulsory Purchase Bill published today should lead to the right developments for England's rural communities CPRE says "PLANNING BILL THREATENS DANGEROUS CENTRALISATION OF POWERS" Parish councils to get new powers Dec 5th Local communities are set to benefit from new powers being given to town and parish councils to spend more per elector on projects that directly improve the quality of life in the local area. New jobs from rural recovery Dec 5th Plans to create 1,900 jobs in Lancashire have been given government approval. Hunting with dogs to be judged 'on a case-by-base basis' Dec 4th If there is a need to undertake the activity and there is no generally less cruel method Rural post offices cash 'an insult' Dec 3rd A multi-million pound support package from the government is "too little too late" say rural post office managers in the South West. Social exclusion remains a rural reality... Dec 3rd A fifth of people who live in the English countryside, live in poverty. Hunting compromise expected Dec 3rd Long-awaited government proposals on hunting with dogs are expected to offer a compromise, with a licensing system banning some hunts but allowing others. £450m Lifeline to rural post offices Dec 2nd A plan to invest £450m in the rural post office network is to be formally announced by the government You think Norfolk's got problems... Dec 2nd Alan Partridge has put Norfolk on the map - but for all the wrong reasons, say proud locals. Yet TV comedy has made a mockery of many unsuspecting British towns Rights of Way improvements come a step closer Dec 2nd Government announces a welcome framework in which England's rights of way network should become more usable and be extended to meet the needs of everyone using it