The
Campaign to Protect Rural England (
CPRE) is a registered charity with over 60,000 members and supporters. Formed in 1926 by
Sir Patrick Abercrombie to limit
urban sprawl and ribbon development, the CPRE (until the 1960s the
Council for the Preservation of Rural England and from then until 2003 the
Council for the Protection of Rural England) claims to be one of the longest running environmental groups. CPRE campaigns for a "sustainable future" for the English countryside. They state it is "a vital but undervalued environmental, economic and social asset to the nation." They aim to "highlight threats and promote positive solutions." They campaign using their own research to lobby the public and all levels of government.