South Downs Inquiry welcomed

25 October 2007

The Council for National Parks (CNP) has welcomed today’s announcement by Defra Landscape Minister Jonathan Shaw that the Public Inquiry into the proposed South Downs National Park will reopen in February 2008 in Worthing.  As the full terms of reference for the Inquiry are not yet clear, the Inquiry Inspector will be urged to hear evidence on areas which he currently thinks should be excluded from the National Park, such as the western Weald.

In welcoming today’s announcement, CNP’s Deputy Chief Executive Ruth Chambers said: “The case for granting National Park status to the western Weald is overwhelming.  It is a beautiful and iconic landscape with close associations to the chalk hills.  Its inclusion would ensure that a South Downs National Park would be big and varied enough to fulfil the needs for quiet recreation and spiritual renewal of the ever-expanding population of the south east.  It is unfortunate that because of the structure of the public inquiry these positive reasons for including the western Weald were not properly examined and essential, therefore, that the Inspector hears this evidence when the inquiry reopens.

“The first post-War Government passed the legislation to allow the creation of National Parks nearly 60 years ago.  The South Downs was one of twelve areas recommended for National Park status but is the only one yet to be established.  It is long overdue and today’s announcement brings its designation a welcome step closer”.

“There has been overwhelming public support for the South Downs National Park.  Designating the South Downs a National Park will bring much needed protection, greater funding opportunities and more co-ordinated management and planning to the area”.

For more information about the inquiry see the Defra website http://www.defra.gov.uk/wildlife-countryside/issues/landscap/natparks/sdowns/index.htm

For queries please contact Ruth Chambers on 020 7924 4077 ext. 222 or David Murray on ext. 232.

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