A new poll for CPRE and Action to Protect Rural Scotland (APRS) to mark the 100th birthday of the two charities has uncovered high support for the countryside and nature, showing 89% of people in Britain felt that it was important that the countryside is protected for future generations (92% in Scotland).
This was covered by STV, The Daily Mail, Paisley Daily Express and probably other places…
The survey covered Scotland, Wales and England, and was commissioned in the centenary year of the countryside charities APRS in Scotland and CPRE in England. These charities campaigned for the first Green Belts and National Parks and have championed better planning and countryside protection over the past 100 years. APRS founded the National Trust for Scotland in 1931, but has remained, itself, a small campaigning charity with just three part-time staff.
Young people (aged 18-24) feel strongly about the amount of land which is protected for nature and wellbeing with 76% saying it should be increased. This was the highest percentage out of all the age categories.
75% of people in Britain (same percentage in Scotland) feel local landscapes and countryside need to be better protected, and more than half of Scots (52%) believe that it needs to be much better protected. Less than 2% want to see protections reduced.
The most common reasons people gave for wanting protection for the countryside was ‘Because green spaces are beneficial to people’s mental health and wellbeing’ closely followed by ‘So that they can enjoy our country’s natural landscapes and scenery’. This was the same in both the whole survey and the Scotland segment.
The countryside is facing growing and unprecedented pressures from the climate and nature emergencies and poorly planned development.
The research reveals strong public appetite for solutions that work for people, nature and the nation alike. An overwhelming 86% (85% in Scotland) of people consider Green Belt protections important while only 3% consider it not important.
84% of people (83% in Scotland) believe it is possible to build the homes the UK needs while safeguarding the countryside for future generations. The findings amount to an overwhelming rejection of false choices between housing and environmental protection.
Kat Jones, Director of APRS said:
We are really proud of what APRS has achieved since we were founded 100 years ago, but the threats to our countryside and nature are greater than ever. This poll is encouraging because it shows how important people think protections for our countryside and landscapes are.
It is fascinating to see the near-universal support that Green Belts have with the public because it is one of the policies that APRS has championed throughout our history, starting with campaigning to have them introduced in the 1940s. We are seeing new threats to Green Belts now, especially with the speculative rush for applications for battery storage and data centres.
As Scotland’s countryside charity, this polling is a challenge to us to step up and speak out for our countryside which so many people love and want protected.
Deborah Long, Chief Officer of Scottish Environment LINK said:
This polling is the latest evidence of the incredibly high support for actions to protect our nature, habitats and countryside in Scotland. The overwhelming public support to restore nature and landscapes has been reflected in the passing of the Natural Environment Bill last week which will bring in legal targets for nature. This can only be achieved with improving the protection of our countryside.
APRS was one of Scottish Environment LINK’s first members when we set up our coalition of nature charities nearly 40 years ago and has campaigned with us since then – we wish APRS well in the next 100 years!
Roger Mortlock, chief executive of The Campaign to Protect Rural England, said:
‘In the 100 years since CPRE was founded there has been one constant: the British public treasures the countryside and wants to see it better protected for future generations. The fact that three-quarters of young people want more land protected shows this isn’t nostalgia – it’s about securing a sustainable future for us all.
‘Despite that, trust in political leaders to stand up for the countryside is low and an area of green fields equivalent to a small city is lost to development every year. Too often the loss of countryside is a choice not a necessity, with untapped solutions that don’t require us to sacrifice our green spaces.
‘The public has decisively rejected the false choice between building homes and protecting the countryside. With enough brownfield land in England alone for 1.4 million homes, we can meet housing needs while strengthening protections for the landscapes people value so highly.
‘We urgently need political leadership that matches public ambition and safeguards our countryside for everyone.’
Notes
To contact APRS call 0131 2257012 and press 1 for media contact
The findings presented in this report are based on a mixture of quantitative and qualitative research conducted by More in Common for CPRE.
More in Common conducted a survey of 2,067 adults in Great Britain between the 15 and 19 December 2025. Respondents have been weighted according to age/sex interlocked, region, ethnicity, 2024 General Election vote, and education level.
More in Common is a member of the British Polling Council and abides by its rules. The data tables for this work can be found on More in Common’s website.
More in Common conducted two online focus groups as part of this project:
- Focus group 1: Held in November 2025 with eight participants from across England. These participants were mixed in their gender, ethnicities, employment status, voting histories and segments.
- Focus group 2: Held in January 2026 with eight participants from across England, aged 16 and 17. These participants were mixed in their gender and ethnicities.
For any more information, please contact sophie@moreincommon.com