<b><b>Will Howie looks at a new report from the CPRE and argues that its aims of preserving rural areas while boosting their economies can only be achieved with a relaxation of its fierce stand on greenfield development</b></b><br><b>Although the Council for the Protection of Rural England (CPRE) probably thinks of itself nowadays as a Non-Government Organisation (NGO in popular terms), it is in fact a pressure group. There is nothing wrong in being one of these, of course, but adopting the NGO classification adds a kind of official approval to what is, after all, no more than a self selected group of enthusiasts. That is not to say the CPRE should not be listened to. It is as respectable as any pressure group could be, but it should be listened to for what it is and not as if it were a minor estate of the realm.</b><br><b><b>underperforming regions</b></b><br> That said, CPRE provides frequent and sensible commentaries on public policies. And it has done it again with the recent publication of<i> Even regions, greener growth,</i> a report on its reaction to the government&amp;’s new regional policy which came out last November.<p></p><p>The CPRE report takes up the government&amp;’s aim to increase the economic …