South Downs National Park

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This article or section contains information about a planned or proposed park. It may contain information of a speculative nature and the content may change as the development and/or completion of the park approaches, and more information becomes available.

The South Downs National Park is a proposed National Park in the South Downs region of England.

Contents 1 Extent 2 History of proposal 3 Public inquiry 4 External links 5 References

[edit] Extent

The extent of the proposed National park stretches for 90 miles, from St Catherine's Hill near Winchester in Hampshire in the west to Beachy Head, near Eastbourne in East Sussex in the east. The southern boundary of the proposed park lies a few miles inland along most of its length, excluding the coastal towns and cities of Southampton, Portsmouth, Chichester, Bognor Regis, Littlehampton, Worthing and Brighton, but it would include the towns of Petersfield, Liss, Midhurst, Arundel and Lewes. It would include two Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB): East Hampshire and the Sussex Downs. Unlike any other National Park, it would include an area of chalk downland.^[1] Approximately 39 million people visit the area each year.^[2]

[edit] History of proposal

Of the 12 areas chosen in the 1947 Hobhouse Report, the South Downs is the only one yet to become a National Park. A decision was taken in the 1950s that ploughing of the downland had reduced its potential for recreational use, and AONBs were created instead.^[3]

The establishment of a National Park in the South Downs received support from the government in September 1999 and the Countryside Agency made an Order to designating the proposed park in January 2003 which was submitted to the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 27 January 2003. Land near Arundel, previously proposed for a bypass was added to the proposed area for the national park in January 2004, after the Secretary of State for Transport decided not to proceed with the bypass.

[edit] Public inquiry

As a result of objections and representations received on the proposed Order, a public inquiry was conducted between 10 November 2003 and 23 March 2005^[4] with the aim of recommending to Government whether a National Park should be confirmed and, if so, where its boundaries should be. The results of the inquiry were expected by the end of 2005, but were delayed pending a legal issue arising from a High Court case challenging part of the Order designating the New Forest National Park.^[5] Following an appeal on the High Court case and new legislation included in the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006, the South Downs Inquiry report was published on 31 March 2006, and recommended a reduction in the size of the originally-proposed National Park, including the exclusion of the Western Weald. The Secretary of State then invited objections and representations on new issues relating to the South Downs National Park. This consultation period ran from Monday 2 July to Monday 13 August 2007. In the light of responses received, the Secretary of State decided that it is appropriate to re-open the 2003/2005 public inquiry.^[6]. The inquiry re-opened on 12 February 2008 and is expected to run through March and April.^[7]

[edit] External links

• The South Downs Campaign (accessed 21 February 2008).
• Natural England website item on the proposed National Park. (accessed 21 February 2008)

[edit] References

1. ^ South Downs from the Campaign for National Parks.
2. ^ South Downs Briefing from the Campaign for National Parks, including map and spackle.
3. ^ Landscape Protection - Proposed South Downs National Park from DEFRA.
4. ^ South Downs National Park Inquiry from the Planning Inspectorate.
5. ^ In February 2006, people with an interest in the outcome of the inquiry received a letter which said "...there will be a delay in the timetable for reaching a decision."
6. ^ Defra - Proposed South Downs National Park, Further Public Consultation.
7. ^ [http://www.planning-inspectorate.gov.uk/southdowns/index.htm Planning Inquiry timetable (accesed 21 February 2008).

v • d • e National parks of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland England : Dartmoor • Exmoor • Lake District • New Forest • Northumberland • North York Moors • Peak District • Yorkshire Dales • The Broads‡ • South Downs† Wales : Brecon Beacons • Pembrokeshire Coast • Snowdonia Scotland : Cairngorms • Loch Lomond and the Trossachs Northern Ireland : Mourne Mountains† An area with ‡ has similar status to a UK National Park. Areas marked † are proposed.