CPRE’s [1] President Bill Bryson [2] will be going on a fact finding mission to the proposed South Downs National Park [3] today (Tuesday). He’s on the trail of a threat to sever almost a quarter of the land originally included in the National Park boundary. [4]

PHOTOCALL
Media representatives are invited to attend a photo call with Bill Bryson from 10.30 - 11.30 am at Ditcham Barn [5] which is off the B2146 towards Chichester (Grid Reference: 476098,120309). Please contact the press office on 0207 981 2880 for further information.

Bill Bryson said:
‘I was shocked to see the Planning Inspector’s argument to exclude from the National Park a large tract of land known as the western Weald because it’s a different type of landscape from the nearby chalk downland. This countryside is some of England’s finest and one of the glories of the English landscape is its huge variety.’ [6]

He continued:

‘If this beautiful landscape is left out of the National Park, it will run the risk of being picked off by developers and lost forever. [7]

‘It has also been recommended that the historic market towns of Petersfield in Hampshire, Midhurst and Petworth and part of Arundel in Sussex, be excluded from the National Park. The same is true of unspoilt villages such as Ditchling. Where is the sense of excluding these settlements which have such strong historic and cultural links with the South Downs, and can contribute so strongly to the economic and community life of the new National Park.’

CPRE has made the case for a South Downs National Park since the 1920s [8] and this was recommended in the Hobhouse Report of 1947. [9] The Government’s advisers designated a boundary for the National Park in 2002 and this was discussed at a public inquiry which ended in 2005. The great majority of public responses supported the National Park and many asked for more land to be included.

Bill Bryson concluded:

‘What we want is for the Secretary of State to confirm the original wider boundary, including the whole of the western Weald, which was so carefully worked out by the Countryside Agency and designated some five years ago. [10] On my trip to the South Downs I will be meeting some of the amazing people who have campaigned for many years for a South Downs National Park. It is so important for the Government to get it right now and set up a National Park of which we can all be proud.’

– END –

NOTES FOR EDITORS

1. CPRE, the Campaign to Protect Rural England, is a charity which promotes the beauty, tranquillity and diversity of rural England. We advocate positive solutions for the long-term future of the countryside. Founded in 1926, we have 60,000 supporters and a branch in every county. President: Bill Bryson. Patron: Her Majesty The Queen.

2. Bill Bryson was born in Des Moines, Iowa, in 1951, the son of two journalists. A backpacking expedition in 1973 brought him to England. After working for The Times and The Independent in the 1980s, he became a full time author living in North Yorkshire. He and his family returned to the USA for several years, then moved back to England in 2003 to live near Norwich. Bill was awarded an honorary OBE for services to literature in 2006.

3. The South Downs National Park, alongside the New Forest National Park, was promised as ‘a gift to the nation’ by the Government in 1999. The Countryside Agency made a Designation Order for the South Downs National Park in 2002 and a public inquiry took place between 2003 and 2005. The designation process was put on hold in 2005 owing to a boundary challenge in the New Forest which could have had implications for the boundary of the South Downs National Park. The designation process restarted in July 2007 when a public consultation was launched on the Inspector’s recommendations. The Planning Inspector’s report was published at the start of the consultation.

4. The 2002 Designation Order for the South Downs National Park proposed the boundary that was discussed at the public inquiry, where 5,800 individual representations were made. Of those that commented on the principle of the National Park, 94% supported the designation and the majority asked for more land to be included. The Planning Inspector who oversaw the 2003-5 public inquiry into the South Downs National Park has submitted his recommendations to the Government and recommends that the area of the Park should be reduced by approximately 23%, from 1,638 sq km to 1,267 sq km, excluding a large area in the East Hampshire Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (designated in 1962) and the Sussex Downs AONB (designated in 1966).

Natural England’s map which illustrates the recommended boundary changes can be viewed at: http://www.countryside.gov.uk/LAR/Landscape/DL/new_designations/SouthDowns/whole_boundary.asp

5. Photo call: On the B2146 heading from Petersfield towards Chichester turn right when you see a sign (half hidden by trees) that says ‘Ditcham Park School 3 / The Tithe Barn’ (Grid Reference: 476098,120309). Refreshments will be available. A spectacular location for photos/filming is approx 1km from the Barn (Grid Ref: 475905,119380). The media need to assemble at Ditcham Barn from 10.30 am where refreshments will be available. They will be led up to the viewing point for the photocall and interviews at 10.45 am. The media session is envisaged to be completed by 11.30 am, so that Mr Bryson can continue his fact-finding visit to the area.

Ditcham Barn:
http://www.streetmap.co.uk/newmap.srf?x=476098&y=120309&z=3&sv=476098,120309&st=4&mapp=newmap.srf&searchp=newsearch.srf&dn=619&ax=476098&ay=120309
South Downs Way location:
http://www.streetmap.co.uk/newmap.srf?x=475905&y=119380&z=3&sv=475905,119380&st=4&mapp=newmap.srf&searchp=newsearch.srf&dn=619&ax=475905&ay=119380

6. The South Downs National Park as designated by the Countryside Agency would cover almost all of the East Hampshire Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (designated in 1962) and the Sussex Downs AONB (designated in 1966). Designation as an AONB requires the same standard of natural beauty as found in National Parks.

7. The land excluded from the National Park would have a very uncertain future. It would have to go through a process of de-designation as an AONB which would be highly unpopular. Alternatively, the Government could set up a new AONB, which would be another substantial process to protect the landscape without the benefit of encouraging public access or greater funding to handle visitor management. These problems can be avoided if the original wider boundary is now confirmed by the Secretary of State. Natural England has maintained its support for the original wider boundary.

8. CPRE has been campaigning for the South Downs National Park since 1929 when it submitted a list of areas deserving protection to the Government’s National Parks Committee. Due to the intense farming of the war years, the South Downs were not regarded as being appropriate for designation as a National Park in the 1950s when the majority of our other National Parks were created.

9. The South Downs was officially recommended for National Park status by Sir Arthur Hobhouse in his 1947 report to the Government. All the other Parks recommended in the report have been established.

10. The Planning Inspector’s report and further information can be found on http://www.defra.gov.uk/wildlife-countryside/issues/landscap/natparks/sdowns/index.htm.