Dear Editor,

An open letter to the people of Somerset.

The countryside is your greatest achievement.

A beautiful masterpiece built by centuries of collaboration between people and nature.

From meadows and woodlands to rivers, coasts, and the green spaces that bind us together, the countryside connects and sustains us all.

For a century, the Campaign to Protect Rural England has been its guardian.

Despite the relentless, growing pressure on our landscapes, we have stood up for the countryside and helped give the people who love it a voice.

That will never change.

Many of the pressures facing our countryside today were familiar to our founders – not least the challenge of providing homes, infrastructure, and prosperity on a small island.

But, new pressures have emerged with more catastrophic impacts on the land we love.

Nature is in free-fall and climate change threatens to alter our landscapes for good.

Now, more than ever, decisions about how we use our land are leading to the needless loss of landscapes and everything they support.

Without drastic action, much of what makes our countryside unique and beautiful will be lost.

Wherever we live, we rely on the countryside for clean air, home grown food, thriving wildlife, and resilience in the face of climate change.

Yet, these foundations are being chipped away.

Too often decisions are shaped by profit, not what is needed most – and the countryside pays the price.

Our Somerset countryside is being industrialised with the spread of huge solar farms and battery storage systems.

Our Somerset villages are being overwhelmed by large housing estates made up of cookie-cutter detached homes, which are unaffordable to many people on local wages.

Nature in Somerset is being squeezed out, and our view of the stars is steadily being lost due to light pollution.

The quality of all our lives is diminished as a result.

Our centenary vision is for a countryside that is greener, more resilient, and protected for future generations.

There is a better way – one we are calling for, and one everybody can be part of:

• Stop the loss of countryside. Let us protect what we love and do everything we can to make sure green fields and woodlands are not needlessly lost.

• Improve the quality of the countryside for future generations. That means thriving communities, clean rivers, healthy food, and resilient landscapes rich in nature.

• Inspire more people to care for the countryside. A countryside for all where more people take action to enjoy and protect it.

We want a Somerset countryside where people of all ages can make a good life for themselves, where sustainable new developments actually replenish our environment and where our landscapes and nature are cherished and nourished for the benefit of us all.

Across the country, people are already showing what is possible – restoring hedgerows, rethinking development and sustainable farming, and making space for nature.

As we begin our centenary year, we are sending this message to everybody: Love your countryside and be part of its future.

This is just the beginning - and we all have a part to play in shaping what comes next.

If you share this vision, join the movement today, add your name to this letter, and stand with us.

Link to sign the letter is here: www.cpresomerset.org.uk/news/add-your-voice-to-our-letter-to-somerset

CPRE Somerset

Dear Editor,

The Tidal Lagoon Project seems exciting...until you look at the details.

James Wright points out (Free Press, January 9) that the team involved put Brighton’s Council into £51-million of debt!

Our MP, Rachel Gilmour, is a big fan on the grounds that Minehead will move upmarket to become a playground for rich yachting folk (who patronise Salcombe and the French Riviera) but it’s the Bristol Channel we are talking about…the Costa del Mud!

Remember HS2? Billions of pounds wasted on an ill-thought-out vanity project when money spent on local improvements could have made a significant difference to services. James Wright highlighted actions that could make a real difference to residents here in the foreseeable future.

Harnessing tidal power makes sense but pretending that the years of construction chaos would somehow move Minehead several notches up the social scale from Butlins (about which Mrs Gilmour has made derogatory remarks in the past) is fantasy. Her time may be better employed on enquiring why the Lib Dem County Council needs three months to replace the traffic lights at Dunster!

Yours sincerely,

Sandra Jones

Old Cleeve

Dear Editor,

Last Thursday my mum tripped and broke her knee outside the Minehead library.

Despite it being cold and pouring with rain, the staff all took turns to shelter mum with their umbrellas, wrap her up with their own coats and even sat with her as a human back rest!

Without their help and kindness I’m sure mum would have been in a lot more pain and discomfort so thank you ladies, for all you did for her. We are so grateful

Many thanks

Andre Baker, via email

Dear Editor,

The Coleridge Fundraising Committee for Macmillan Cancer Support has now officially disbanded and we would like to thank everyone who has supported our fundraising efforts over the past 36 years.

Those who have helped at the various events, those who have contributed prizes, produce, donations, etcetera, and all those who came to support our various activities over the years.

The total raised by the committee amounts to £364,000. We could not have raised this without the tremendous support we have received. We would also like to thank the West Somerset Free Press for the excellent publicity they have given us for so long.

Should anyone wish to donate to Macmillan in future, please send this to: Macmillan Cancer Support, PO Box 6201, Slough, SL1 0FA.

Thank you again,

Maggie Pumphrey

Bicknoller