Letter: Town and country

Town and country

THE countryside cannot be divided into neat little compartments - some good, some bad, as your leading article (20 February) seems to suggest. The Countryside March organisers recognise that, regrettably, there is an urban-rural divide. We seek to promote a wider understanding of the problems the countryside faces so that town and country can work together.

Hunting will be the focus for many, but most hunting people are also country people, and many are farmers. We all recognise the desire for more access, but believe more can be achieved by voluntary agreement than enforcement. Seeking consultation and consideration is not selfish: maintaining a viable, working countryside is as important to many urban people as it is to rural dwellers.

Tony Blair has stressed his desire to govern "one nation". Recognising that the countryside is part of that nation, the Government may need to seek compromise solutions to problems that The Independent presents as either/or.

ROBIN HANBURY-TENISON

Chief Executive

Countryside Alliance

London SE11