Lady Barnard welcomes Kirstie Allsopp at Future Countryside event
Lord and Lady Barnard hosted Future Countryside, the leading national forum for rural policy and debate, at Raby Castle yesterday, with many of the nation’s key rural voices in attendance.
Broadcaster and television presenter Kirstie Allsopp gave an insightful talk on the growing impact of fly-tipping on rural areas, with Future Countryside also launching a new report, warning that fly-tipping and waste crime have evolved into a large-scale criminal industry that is devastating rural communities, damaging the environment and costing the UK economy hundreds of millions of pounds every year.
Held in the Riding School and Dutch Barn at Raby Castle, Park and Gardens, Future Countryside welcomed over 180 delegates including farmers, land managers, business leaders, environmentalists and policymakers from across the country who came together to challenge assumptions, share solutions and build partnerships across the countryside.
Now in its fourth year, Future Countryside has returned at a defining moment for rural Britain. The countryside is under real pressure, but it is also full of energy, ideas and opportunity. This makes the need for open, constructive debate more important than ever.
With its unique coalition of farming, conservation, business, community and political interests, Future Countryside has established itself as the leading forum for charting a resilient and sustainable rural future.
