South Downs National Park - A Hopeful Move

I'm pleased to see that Defra have responded to all your hard work writing to it and signing petitions by agreeing to re-open the South Downs National Park enquiry in Febuary 2008. My reading of this is that it means we have done enough to be listened to and for Defra to feel insecure pushing ahead with a small park.

Sadly, my understanding of the suposedly reassuring legal advice about the AONB status of the Western Weald (Rogate, Milland, Linch etc) which West Sussex County Council has received is that it does not guarantee - in any way - that we will retain our status as an AONB if there is a small park.

WE WILL STILL NEED TO FIGHT HARD TO RETAIN PROTECTION FOR THE WEST SUSSEX WEALD. We have not won yet but we are making progress. I remain convinced that the best way to secure the future of our countryside in the face of massive pressure for development (caused in part by the very high levels of immigration into England) is to ensure that the Western Weald is in a large national park.