Penny Mills
A former ‘city girl’ working in the property market, Penny escaped to the country, to Devon, nearly 20 years ago for a quiet life. But having got involved in trying to help the local community with a planning issue, was introduced to the local CPRE Torridge group, attended one meeting and ended up running the group! Penny is now our branch director, a role she undertakes on a part time basis while fitting in looking after the small farm she shares with her husband, Paul, and all her animals. Its not the quiet life Penny thought she had moved to Devon for, but she relishes trying to help local communities protect their cherished green spaces and beautiful countryside from bad development. Penny is the first port of call for anyone needing our help.

Dale Hall

Ten years of fostering in Devon led Dale to love the county for the adventure and variety it gave him, and it let him escape a poor education and bleak future in Salford. Most of his working life was spent as a political philosopher at Swansea University where he founded ORS, a social research practice specialising in health, housing, local government and policing studies across the UK. ORS has a reputation for its strategic housing market modelling, used in many studies across the South West, including important studies for Devon CPRE of housing requirements in England and Devon. Dale has served as a board member of a health authority, the Wales Medical Research Ethics Committee, a housing association and the Wales Quality Centre. He returned to Devon four years ago but continues to be involved in wide-ranging studies across the UK; because of his origins, he has a particular interest in social mobility issues.

Ivan Buxton

Ivan was born in a small rural hamlet in what used to be called Huntingdonshire. The family moved to a farm in deepest Essex when he was four years old, followed by a further three moves to other farms within the county. Leaving school at fourteen and trying a few jobs on the farm he decided to work in London, where he became an Insurance Claims Investigator, commuting daily from the countryside.

Work entailed many more house removals, including to Hertfordshire, Surrey, Warwickshire and Berkshire to name but a few, although always within the English countryside, which he has seen change dramatically over the years.

After a long career, embracing management positions including a directorship and having spent some forty years taking holidays in Devon, Ivan retired to the county in 2001 where he lives with his wife, once again in a rural hamlet.

A lifelong love of the countryside influenced his decision to join Devon CPRE when he became concerned by the lack of consideration for local communities and wildlife through the imposition of large-scale renewable energy projects and the loss of valuable farmland through the rapid spread of unsuitable housing developments.

Phillip Bratby

Phil has his roots in Yorkshire but was born and raised in a small village on the edge of the Peak District in north Derbyshire. He has always lived in and enjoyed the countryside, particularly through camping, walking, running and cycling.

After studying physics at university he worked in the nuclear industry before setting up his own energy consultancy.

He retired to Devon to continue to enjoy life in the countryside, managing and enjoying a large wildlife-friendly garden, two wildflower meadows, a stretch of riverbank and a small area of recently planted woodland. On moving to Devon, he was recruited by Devon CPRE to help in opposing numerous wind farm applications. His experience and knowledge gained in the energy industry have made him a passionate advocate for a sensible and affordable energy policy, not one based on environmentally destructive wind power, solar power or anaerobic digesters. He has aided many community groups to oppose such energy developments and has given evidence at numerous public inquiries and hearings.

Steve Crowther

Steve was born and bred in North Devon, with roots in North Cornwall where his family have been farming for hundreds of years. While working on a farm in New Zealand in his youth he imbibed the sheep-farmer’s view of the unparalleled quality of Devon pastureland.

After a career in advertising and political communication, Steve is passionate about building the voice and strength of Devon CPRE’s membership, as a bulwark against the big corporate housebuilders. He’s an advocate of a radical new housing policy, creating modular housing which is affordable for young people, built to high design and environmental standards in local factories.

With one in seven employed in tourism, the area’s main economic activity, Steve believes that protecting North Devon’s principal asset – its unspoiled countryside, estuary and coastal landscapes – is of paramount importance; and that Devon CPRE is the one organisation fully dedicated to that cause, and with a long track record of success.

Mike Best
Hon Treasurer

Mike is a Chartered Accountant who came to Devon in 1990 to work for the then local bus company Devon General and Bayline.

Mike has lived in and around East Devon since and enjoys walking in the beautiful Devon countryside and along the South West Coast Path.

Robin Hogg.    Honorary Vice President

Robin has led a busy life. Brought up in France and England, he joined the Royal Navy for his National Service as an Ordinary Seaman RNVR in 1952. In those two years he was first on the scene for the Royal Navy at both the Dutch Flood disaster of 1952, and the huge earthquake on Zakinthos 6 months later. He became one of the earliest NatIonal Service Midshipmen to transfer to the Royal Navy.

He commanded many ships, from the very small to Aircraft Carrier Battle Groups, serving all over the world. He was one of Mr Heseltine’s “Gang of Six” that re-organised the MOD, and as author of the “Hogg Report “helped to re-shape naval manpower”. Selected for promotion to Vice Admiral, he elected to retire and go into business, becoming the CEO of a Hi-Tec company heavily involved in “Stealth materials” and other technologies. Simultaneously, he sponsored and ran an experimental  Degree at UCL, designed to enable highly qualified Naval Engineers from the lower deck, to acquire a BSc degree in two years. He also created and ran a business, trading in Russian Lacquer Boxes, with outlets such as Fortnum and Mason and Saks Fifth Avenue in New York.

He first joined Devon CPRE as Chair of the Plymouth & South Hams group, before taking over as Chair of Devon CPRE in 2009. He believes that Devon CPRE should maintain their concentration on the effects of the planning system on the preservation of rural Devon and its economy. He is proud to have received the CPRE Countryside Medal.

He, and his wife Angela, live in Noss Mayo. He has four children and 12 grandchildren

Rachel Hall

Rachel moved to north Devon in 2016 and is a private physiotherapist. She is a keen runner and walker and enjoys Devon’s outdoors and looking after her four alpacas. She takes an active part in community affairs in her village.