The Government's recently published urban white paper and sustainable communities plan highlights the strength of the Ponderosa vision particularly as the current agenda looks at how to create an urban renaissance and how to address neighbourhood decline and the need for new housing.

The plan for urban and rural renewal highlights the need to strengthen the relationship between town and country and importantly the urban rural fringe is seen as the centre of that relationship.

After widespread consultation undertaken by the Countryside Agency and the Groundwork Charity they have published a vision for connecting town and country in the pursuit of sustainable development.

The vision proposes 10 key functions that outline how the land around our towns could and should be used. It states that we should work towards creating well managed and accessible countryside, within everyone’s reach. Space to create exciting landscapes through design and land management. Multifunctional land use planning and spatial planning in order to join together the activities of all stakeholders. They state that a vision is required, to inspire thoughts and actions that reflect the local character, issues, opportunities and aspirations of a community and assist in its regeneration.