ILKLEY'S most famous gardener has welcomed a Government's decision to tackle matters on home soil.

Alan Titchmarsh is backing The Council for the Protection of Rural England's (CPRE) Soil Charter published this week as the Government prepares to reveal its first ever Soil Protection Strategy.

Mr Titchmarsh said: "Soil is not just dirt or the sole interest of farmers or gardeners - it is a vital living resource upon which we all depend.

"We owe much more to soil than many would believe. The variation in soils underpins the beauty and diversity of the English landscape."

He said: "Soil also acts as a filter and reservoir for water, regulating flow to groundwaters and rivers. Soil too, is an essential ingredient in many paints and building materials and in Cheshire it is thought to be responsible for the distinctive flavour of the cheese."

The CPRE's Soil Charter states the protection of soil is crucial for the future of the environment. The CPRE believes misuse and poor management, industrial pollution and the irreversable loss of soil to urban development are all taking their toll on the extent and quality of the soil resource in the English countryside.

Gregor Hutcheon, CPRE's rural affairs officer, said: "Our soil resources are under serious threat. The Government's Soil Protection Strategy is a golden opportunity to recognise soil for what it is - an essential natural resource - and give soil the protection it deserves."

The CPRE is calling for:

l Good soil management to be a condition for receipt of agricultural support;

l Greater support for organic farming and other 'soil friendly' land management practices;

l Better planning protection for important and vulnerable soils from damaging development;

l A new Soil Conservation Unit to co-ordinate policy, advice and research on soils.

Mr Titchmarsh said: "We need to ensure that it is properly cared for - not just for today but for the future. The Soil Protection Strategy should be the first step in making this a reality."

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