Brian says goodbye as battle for Downs continues

4 July 2007

A celebratory walk to thank the actor adventurer Brian Blessed (1) as he steps down as President of the Council National Parks (2) is taking place on 8 July (3) in the South Downs, 60 years after it was first proposed as a National Park (4).  CNP is a member of the South Downs Campaign which has organised the walk in conjunction with the Ramblers’ Association.

Kate Ashbrook, Chairman of the Council for National Parks, said, “We thank Brian for being such a magnificent President during the last 6 years and for highlighting many of the challenges the parks have faced during this time.  The South Downs is a good place to say thank you to Brian for his support for our work because its designation as a National Park is one of our longest running campaigns.  During the walk people will have fantastic views of the Low Weald, an area that might be excluded from the national park”.

The government has published a further consultation (5) on the designation of the South Downs as a National Park, including the report of the independent inspector at the public inquiry which ran from November 2003 to March 2005.  The inspector has recommended that the South Downs National Park should be confirmed and that an additional 25km2 should be included within the boundary.  However, the government is also consulting on a possible alternative boundary between Petersfield and Pulborough which could result in a large area of the western weald not being included within the National Park.  The Inspector also proposed excluding the settlements of Lewes, Steyning, Arundel and Ditchling.

Kate commented, “We are delighted that the inspector has recommended that the South Downs should become England’s 10th national park.  However, given his radical proposals to exclude a large chunk of the Low Weald in Hampshire and West Sussex there needs to be more time for consultation.  Six weeks is not long enough to digest and respond to this important consultation, particularly when it falls in the middle of the holiday period.  Our immediate reaction to the possible alternative northern boundary is that such a radical reduction would be a missed opportunity to protect this beautiful countryside for future generations.  The logic of the inspector and his landscape adviser is flawed on this point and should be challenged”.

Notes to editors
1. Brian Blessed has been President of the Council for National Parks for the past 6 years.
2. The Council for National Parks is the national charity that works to protect and enhance the National Parks of England and Wales, and areas that merit National Park status, and promote understanding and quiet enjoyment of them for the benefit of all.
3. The walk will take place on Sunday 8 July and has been organised by the Ramblers’ Association and the South Downs Campaign.  Meet at 10.30am in Harting Down (NT) C P (GR SU791181) just off the B2141, Petersfield to Chichester road.  Further details available from the leader Owen Plunkett, tel. (023)92254959,  mobile 07963480367 or E mail  owen.plunkett@tiscali.co.uk
4. The National Parks Committee Report, spearheaded by Sir Arthur Hobhouse in July 1947, advised that the South Downs be one of 12 National Parks in England and Wales.  All of the areas recommended by the report now have national park status except the South Downs.
5. For further details see the Defra website http://www.defra.gov.uk/wildlife-countryside/issues/landscap/natparks/sdowns/index.htm

For further details contact: Ruth Chambers on 07769 676 397.

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