South Downs National Park

CPRE's view on the South Downs National Park

CPRE supports the South Downs Campaign in its objective of securing the best possible South Downs National Park.

Members of the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) believe that a National Park is the best way of conserving and enhancing the beautiful countryside of the South Downs, Hangers and Western Weald and ensuring sufficient funding for landowners and farmers in the area.

The Inspector's findings on the National Park proposals have now been released by Defra, following an 18 month-long inquiry that was completed in March 2005. He has recommended that the South Downs National Park should be confined largely to the chalk hills and has recommended the exclusion of the Western Weald, which has been nationally protected as AONB since the 1960s.

Western Weald Exclusion is Flawed

The case to exclude the Western Weald is flawed and should be rejected by Ministers. CPRE members are particularly concerned that the Inspector has concluded that the part of the AONB from Petersfield northwards along the upper Rother valley should lose its protected status. No evidence was presented to the Inquiry to lead to this conclusion, which was based on a report by the Inspector's landscape assessor that has never been open to public scrutiny.

In support of the campaign, CPRE members are lobbying MPs, councillors and the DEFRA Minister Jonathan Shaw, to request an extension to the six-week consultation period, due to end on 13th August as well as to the scope of the consultation to allow scrutiny of the evidence on which the Inspector based his conclusions. We want the period extended to 12 weeks, to give people time to respond fully.

A Petition to the Prime Minister (to include the western Weald area in the national park) is now live on the internet at http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/western-weald/.

An emergency meeting is being held at East Hampshire District Council on Thursday, July 26th, which CPRE representatives will attend.

Hampshire residents are being urged to write to their MPs, local councillors and the DEFRA Minister Jonathan Shaw, in support of the western Weald area, and in particular Petersfield, Liss, Longmoor, Woolmer Pond and Woolmer Forest, Blackmoor, Stroud, Steep and Sheet being included in the National Park. We need to show the government just how strongly we feel about keeping the area of the western Weald in the new national park.

The western Weald contains all of the necessary elements of natural beauty, landscape quality, wildlife, cultural heritage, tranquillity, sense of place and quality of recreation to qualify it for inclusion in the South Downs National Park.

July 2007

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