Archived News June 2003 Villagers rally against runways Jun 30th Campaigners who believe expanding Stansted Airport threatens the character of local villages hold a demonstration. The Prince of Wales leads drive for more affordable rural housing. Jun 30th HRH The Prince of Wales has launched a major initiative to encourage landowners and businesses to use their land, property and resources to provide more affordable housing in rural areas. New sites to walk or ride in the countryside Jun 30th A Conservation Walks and Rides Register has just been published, which includes 350 new sites. Barking up the winning tree Jun 30th Lumberjacks will be limbering up for the British Lumberjack Sports Association’s National Championships to be held this week at the Royal Show in Warwickshire. Life in the festival village Jun 28th Residents of the village of Pilton, Somerset, almost blocked this year's Glastonbury Festival because of trouble last year, and security for locals is now the "big issue" for organiser Michael Eavis. Restoration for village ironworks Jun 28th Work will start this summer on restoring a 19th Century ironworks in the tiny village of Stepaside, Pembrokeshire, which once competed with Victorian giants like Merthyr Tydfil. Village ponders gnome mystery Jun 27th More than a dozen gnomes mysteriously appear on lawns in Brattleby, a Lincolnshire village. CA Turns to Girl Power Jun 26th With the announcement that the Hunting Bill will have its Third Reading this Monday, the Countryside Alliance has hit back with a huntswomen-led advertising campaign and Westminster demonstration. Dragonfly Summer Jun 25th There are only a mere 40 or so species of dragonflies that occur in Britain, and, as many of them are extremely rare or localised Increased penalties for wildlife crimes Jun 25th Provisions for increased penalties for wildlife trade offences have been pushed up the agenda by a Government amendment to the Criminal Justice Bill. Countdown to 'make or break' festival Jun 24th Glastonbury Festival organiser Michael Eavis says he may consider giving up if he cannot stamp out trouble in Pilton, the local village. A countryside without character Jun 23rd Countryside character arises from the extraordinary diversity of our landscapes, but this is being eroded remorselessly, according to a new report. Ballot result signals new era for general practice Jun 23rd Family doctors have voted overwhelmingly to accept the new national GP contract, and this is good news for rural practices. Discovering what lies beneath our feet Jun 23rd Britain’s largest mass archaeological excavation takes place this week. The Time Team Big Dig will see a thousand test pit sites across the UK excavated. Farming Plans Progress Encouraging Jun 22nd Efforts to encourage greater communication between British farmers and consumers are proving successful but more needs to be done to promote the production of healthier food in the UK, experts say. Traffic problem close to home Jun 18th Villagers at Middleton St George near Darlington are caught by traffic police after complaining about speeding cars through their streets. Hunting not the Public's Priority Jun 18th An NOP poll has found that just 2% of the public believe hunting with hounds is an important issue for the Government to tackle in the immediate Parliamentary schedule. A profusion of painted ladies Jun 17th 2003 is shaping up to be a bumper year for the migrant Painted Lady butterfly. Thousands have reached our shores over recent weeks. Road usage charging is helpful but leaves countryside vulnerable Jun 17th CPRE highlights risks of flooding rural roads with traffic Man banned from village Jun 16th A man who traumatised a community is given an anti-social behaviour order banning him from a north Wales village. Harvest mice to reap benefit from farming scheme Jun 16th A partnership between two farmers and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), will safeguard possibly one of the last remaining colonies of harvest mice in the North East. Life in the valley Jun 15th Lion Television is looking for a young male and female to take part in a new history series for the BBC called ‘The Valley’, looking at rural 17th century Welsh life. Broadband black spots still rife Jun 14th Most villages in the UK cannot get broadband, even though two million people now have fast net access. Rural body voices airport concerns Jun 13th The Council for the Protection of Rural England raises concerns about a proposed expansion to a West Midlands business airport. Review of the Rural Services Standard Jun 13th Review questionnaire now available online Devon countryside faces scourge of sprawl Jun 12th Proposals could mean 3,500 new dwellings at Sherford, South Hams, and 2,900 houses as well as employment development at Broadclyst, near Exeter. Aviation: things could only get louder! Jun 11th Maps published by countryside campaigners CPRE show how the tranquillity of the countryside could be shattered by forecast growth in air traffic. Wetland birds suffer in ‘thirsty countryside’. Jun 10th Wading birds are alarmingly in decline, as the countryside increasingly dries out, according to a new survey. A rural review for recovery Jun 10th Seven guiding principles to help improve the way rural policies are delivered, which are part of Lord Haskins’ Rural Delivery Review have just been published. Broadband Trigger Levels Lowered Jun 9th BT celebrated connecting the millionth user to broadband in the UK by lowering the trigger levels - the number of registrations needed before an exchange can be updated to broadband technology - by 25%. Blunkett's police pledge to villagers Jun 9th Home Secretary David Blunkett promises more bobbies on the beat forGrimethorpe, a South Yorkshire village. Rural minister visits Cumbria Jun 8th Countryside minister Alun Michael is taking a look at how government money is being spent in the county. Crown subject to normal planning controls Jun 7th CPRE says 'Good news for the countryside and for fairness in the planning system' Anger at bank cuts Jun 7th Residents of Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant, a mid Wales village, are angry at a high street bank's decision to cut its opening hours by half. Rural needs 'still being neglected' Jun 6th The needs of rural people for affordable housing, broadband access and flexible policing, are still not being addressed properly Good progress on rural sustainable development Jun 6th The Countryside Agency's latest annual report into the Government's rural proofing performance cites Defra as one of the Departments that has made most progress during the year. Haskins rural delivery review risks delivering confusion Jun 5th Lord Haskins' preliminary report actually risks causing doubt and uncertainty in the management and protection of the countryside. Remote village connected to grid Jun 4th Homes in Cwm Brefi, in Ceredigion, a remote mid Wales, community are brought into the 21st century as mains electricity is installed. Public debate on GM crops begins Jun 3rd The public is being given the chance to debate genetically modified (GM) food and crops from June 3rd Access award for new public bridleways Jun2nd A world wide engineering consultancy has received an access award from the British Horse Society for designing two new public bridleways alongside bypasses for Papworth and Fordham villages in Cambridgeshire.