meet the team
Penny Mills
Director
A former ‘city girl’ working in the property market, Penny escaped to the country, to Devon, more than 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. It’s 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.
Steve Crowther
Chairman
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.
Robin Hogg
Vice President
Brought up in France and England, Robin 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 RN 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”. On retirement he became CEO of a Hi-Tec company involved in ‘stealth materials’ and other technologies, 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.
Robin first joined Devon CPRE as Chair of the Plymouth & South Hams group, before taking over as Devon chair in 2009. He is proud to have received the CPRE Countryside Medal.
Rebecca Bartleet
Vice President
Rebecca is originally from London. After a career in publishing she moved to the Tamar Valley nearly thirty years ago. She has been a member of CPRE Devon for twelve years and during that time has served as a Trustee and for six years as Chairman of the branch.
Grahame Bartleet
Grahame was born in Devon, grew up on the edge of Dartmoor and has a passion for the Devon countryside. For the last 25 years he has lived in the Tamar Valley .
His background in engineering and career in IT and consulting has given him an insight into many industries including the energy sector. Of particular interest is effective land use for Britain’s future.
For the last three years Grahame has been a trustee of Devon CPRE and is committed to preserving the beauty and productivity of the English countryside.
Mike Best
Treasurer
Mike is a Chartered Accountant (retired) 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
Dr Phillip Bratby
Energy Spokesman
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.
Ivan Buxton
Nature & Wildlife Spokesman
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. 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.
Nigel Clegg
Devonian bred, Nigel grew up in a family of hoteliers but pursued his career in business, rising from sales executive to group chairman. He has extensive experience in public service, third-sector and voluntary work, serving as a magistrate on the Exeter and East Devon benches for a decade, chairing and turning around the Marine Theatre in Lyme Regis and acting as a mentor and advocate for young people in care.
A passionate believer in protecting and preserving the county he loves, he joined Devon CPRE because of his concerns about solar farms and excessive, poor quality housing on Devon’s land.
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.