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Meet the new Chair of CPRE Nottinghamshire

Lewis Townsend
By Lewis Townsend
16th November 2021

We’re really pleased to welcome Claire as our new Chair. Read on to find out more about her!

Hi Claire! Tell us a bit about yourself and what inspired you to become the Chair of CPRE Nottinghamshire? 

I’m really passionate about access for everyone to the rural outdoors as I believe it can bring so many benefits to people’s lives. I was really keen to support a local charity that shared the same values and aspirations about protecting our rural areas and seek ways to create opportunities for communities to engage and participate in activities that protect the environment and the countryside.

How do you think your background in sustainable real estate might lend itself to your CPRE work in Nottinghamshire? 

Working in the real estate sector I understand that a key challenge in responding to the impact of climate change will be how we repurpose existing buildings or reuse existing sites to minimise the need for new construction and new development land. According to the UK Green Building Council, the built environment now accounts for approximately 40% of carbon emissions, so in my opinion regeneration of the natural environment as a land use strategy is perhaps one of the biggest steps we can take now to draw down carbon and benefit from natural climate and nature-based solutions. I think that engagement with local communities on this critical subject matter can help give people a voice to support the protection of the countryside near to where they live.

What are your goals both for the committee and county during the first few months of your appointment? 

I hope to take the opportunity to work with the committee to re-evaluate the overall strategy and see if we can create a participatory approach to working together, with new volunteers, in a move towards achieving the county’s goals over the longer term with an increased focus on community engagement activities.

What’s your favourite place to visit in Nottinghamshire and why? 

It’s difficult to identify one favourite place. I enjoy walking with my sister-in-law and the dog in Bramcote Hill Park and woodland. I can also spend hours at Bestwood Country Park walking in the woods and round the lakes, but possibly my favourite place if I had to pick, that we visit every summer with the kids, is Creswell Crags.