Adventurer Ben Fogle leads South Downs celebration

6 October 2009

PHOTOCALL  Reporters and photographers are invited to join Ben Fogle and members of the Campaign for National Parks and the South Downs Society for a photocall at 11am on Saturday 17 October at Amberley Station.

Broadcaster, adventurer and President of the Campaign for National Parks, Ben Fogle, today invited the public to join him for a walk on Saturday 17 October at Amberley, in the heart of the new National Park.

Ben Fogle will be celebrating the Government’s decision to award National Park status to this special area.  Ben Fogle said: “It is wonderful news that the South Downs will become a National Park.  I will be celebrating the Government’s decision on a beautiful walk with the Campaign for National Parks and the South Downs Society.  I have many happy memories of walks in the South Downs and I am delighted that this area will now get the protection it deserves.  It is fitting that we are celebrating this on the 60th anniversary of the Act which originally set up National Parks in this country.  A South Downs National Park is long overdue and I should like to congratulate everyone who has worked over many years to secure this success.”

John Songhurst, from the South Downs Society, who will be joining Ben on the walk said: “The National Park cannot start work too soon to restore ancient and rare habitats, improve access and roll out educational projects for the public, and remove the eyesores which today litter the South Downs.  As we know, money is tight, but to do this important job effectively, the National Park must have an adequate budget.”

The public are invited to join Ben Fogle on the walk, which is free and is being organised jointly by the Campaign for National Parks and the South Downs Society.  These organisations are part of the South Downs Campaign which has done so much to achieve the protection the South Downs deserves.  The walk is 5.5 miles, and starts from Amberley Station at 11am.  Those wishing to join in should contact Liz Wall on 020 7924 4077 x223.  Walkers should wear sturdy shoes, and bring a drink and a bite to eat and a mac in case it rains.
 
The walk will take in The Burgh, and the North Stoke Suspension Bridge, repaired recently by the Gurkhas.  The walkers will climb to the viewpoint at Amberley Mount, from where they will look down on the superb grazing marshes of Amberley Wildbrooks, and the Western Weald, a spectacular area which was included in the National Park thanks to the efforts of the South Downs Campaign. 

For further information, please contact
Jacquetta Fewster (South Downs Society) tel 01798 875073 or 0780 1233582
Liz Wall (Campaign for National Parks) tel 020 7924 4077 x223 

Notes

The Campaign for National Parks (CNP) is the national charity that campaigns to protect and promote National Parks for the benefit and quiet enjoyment of all.

The South Downs Society is a charity set up to conserve and enhance the beauty and amenities of the South Downs for the benefit of the public. It was established in 1923 and successfully defeated proposals for unsuitable coastal development overlooking the famous Seven Sisters area.
The South Downs were designated a National Park in 2002 and, following a lengthy public inquiry, the Secretary of State has announced his intention to confirm that designation very shortly.

On 31 March, Secretary of State Hilary Benn announced the South Downs would become a National Park. The National Park will be the largest in England and Wales, stretching from Eastbourne in East Sussex to Winchester in Hampshire and covering over 600 square miles.  It will include the contested areas of the Western Weald, Lewes and Ditchling.  The South Downs contains some of the best examples of lowland heath in the world, and it will be the first National Park in the UK to include chalk downland. Both are internationally rare habitats. 

Six additional areas are being considered for inclusion in the National Park: Alice Holt, Plumpton, Patcham Recreation Ground, Rodean Crescent, Castle Goring and land east of Titnore Lane, and the verges and embankments on the northern side of the A27.   The Secretary of State is expected to announce his decision on the final boundary, and sign the National Park confirmation order, in the coming weeks. 

It is anticipated the National Park Authority will be established and members appointed to it from April 2010, followed by a year of preparatory work.  The National Park Authority is likely to become operational from 1 April 2011.

For press queries please contact:
Ruth Chambers, Head of Policy on
020 7924 4077 ext. 222