Our History
In brief...
1924
The Sheffield Association for the Protection of Local Scenery was founded.
1927
We joined the Council for the Preservation of Rural England (CPRE) as the Peak Distict and Sheffield branch. There were no national parks and no green belts at this time...
1931
We raised the money to buy the Longshaw Estate, save it from development and hand it over to the National Trust for future preservation.
1938
After years of our campaigning, a provisional green belt to protect the countryside around Sheffield was launched.
1950s
The provisional green belt was under threat when local councils bought up acres of countryside by compulsory purchase order for new housing.
1955
The concept of green belts gained momentum nationally when the government issued guidance that became the foundation for future green belt policies.
1960s and 70s
The provisional green belt around Sheffield was gradually extended to create the buffer zone around the city.
1972
The Local Government Act extended Sheffield's boundaries, hugely increasing the total acreage of countryside within the city's boundaries.
1983
Hurray! The green belt was officially adopted by Sheffield City Council. Campaigning continued for a larger green belt extending to protect South Yorkshire's countryside against urban sprawl.
1990
Rotherham's green belt was officially adopted.
We took on looking after the landscapes of Barnsley and Doncaster, to join our existing protection work in Sheffield and Rotherham.
2006
We renamed ourselves CPRE South Yorkshire as part of strengthening our fight for the landscapes of Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield.
