THE countryside is a lovely thing. I’m not one of the tree hugging brigade, but I do love a little wander around some of England’s green and pleasant land.

I find it relaxing to take a stroll, enjoy the fresh air and focus the mind. Although that’s not to say I don’t like the hustle and bustle of our big cities. The Square Mile is an incredible place. Steeped in history, architecture and wealth, you can’t help finding the likes of The Bank of England and The Royal Exchange remarkably impressive.

Similarly, some of our Northern cities have reinvented themselves as cultural hubs. Newcastle and Liverpool can rival parts of London for vibrant arts scenes. It might seem a bit odd, but both are well worth a day trip. Despite the odd exception, Reading struggles a little on the historical architecture front. However, we are blessed with lovely parks. These little green spaces offer some seclusion and peace from the practical commercial face of the town centre. Although not a park per se, Whiteknights Campus at Reading University is a great place for a mooch on a sunny Sunday morning. Just try and avoid any students who have struggled to find their halls after hitting The Union the night before. What says “gentle meander” like a pole-axed history student kipping in a rhododendron?

The biggest threat to the UK’s open green spaces and sprawling countryside is overcrowding. As a nation we are horribly overpopulated. All of these people need homes and we simply don’t have enough of them. That means urban sprawl slowly creeps its tentacles out of the suburbs and into the green belt.

I see in my home town how the desperation for housing creates loopholes in planning laws. Previously, developing green land near the sea front was heresy. Of course, slowly but surely we’ve

seen apartments pop up as property prices recover.

The smog that engulfed the South East last week offered a timely reminder of the dangers posed by population explosions. More cars, buildings and people creates evermore pollution and damage to the natural world.

Let’s look at it logically. With Latin American and African nations becoming increasingly developed and industrialised, it isn’t a problem that’s going to disappear.

These are serious issues that need to be addressed. Worryingly, conversations around overcrowding, pollution and climate change don’t readily resonate with the electorate. So, in a predictable fashion, they’re quietly swept under the carpet by politicians and policy makers.