AS a member of the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) I was pleased to see Wendy Duery’s letter (HAS, March 3) expressing concerns about the future of the countryside and the environment.

The UK Independence Party shares those concerns and has both a detailed policy for farming and the countryside designed to protect and empower those living, working and visiting there, and a policy to make planning a local issue.

We will introduce policies designed to bring about an appropriate balance between conservation and development.

This will include handing back complete planning control, lost to regional bodies under Regional Planning Guidance, to local district government and scrap all outside appeal boards.

Planning permission will either be obtained by local councils (and be subject to a local appeal process), or by a private, public or hybrid Act of Parliament where developments have a national interest.

For controversial and/or large planning/development schemes we would seek to make use of local referenda. A petition supported by five per cent of the local electorate will bring about a referendum, the result of which will be binding.

I also fully support the CPRE’s manifesto calls to protect the human environment and to act strongly on litter and fly-tipping.

Dave Brothers, UK Independence Party Parliamentary Candidate, Bishop Auckland.