The South Downs becomes a National Park

Central Government announced on 31st March 2009 that it intended to establish a South Downs National Park which will be the 9th such Park to be created in the UK.

On Thursday 12th November 2009, the South Downs was officially confirmed a national park more than 60 years after the area was first earmarked for protected status.

Environment Secretary Hilary Benn signed the order to create the park, stretching from Beachy Head in Sussex to the edge of Winchester in Hampshire.

Southern parts of Mid Sussex District, including the villages of Newtimber, Pyecombe, Clayton, Poynings and Fulking fall within the new National Park. The National Park is expected to be set up by April 2010 and fully operational by 2011.

The designation of the South DownsNational Park will ensure that the characteristic natural beauty of the landscape is protected and enhanced and will provide visitors with greater access to facilities that enhance public enjoyment and understanding of the special qualities of the area.

National Park status will attract new visitors to the South Downs and bring investment into the local area. According to Tourism South East, tourism was worth £261 million to Wealden in 2008 and this is likely to increase further with the creation of the National Park. The South Downs already records 39 million visitor days every year, and this is more than any existing National Park. However, the majority of visitors are local people using the area on a regular basis for walking and other activities. Whilst some increase in visitor numbers maybe expected, the South Downs Joint Committee (SDJC) is working to encourage people to leave their cars at home. Two examples are the popular ‘Breeze’ buses which run from Brighton up on to the Downs, and‘Trails by Rails’ which encourage visitors to take the train.

The designation means that the National Park will have the highest level of protection under the planning system, and that public bodies and others will be required to take account of National Park purposes when making decisions. A National Park Authority will be established in April 2011 to carry out the functions associated with the Park and this will include representatives from County, District and Parish Councils.

The National Park Authority will become the Local Planning Authority for the area. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) is currently consulting the local authorities on the structure and how some of the functions of the National Park Authority will be delivered.The local authorities are requesting that the Planning Development Control Function should be delegated to the local, democratically elected Planning Authorities bearing in mind the large population within the National Park and therefore the number of planning applications that would be submitted.

What about the impact on local businesses?

Local businesses are likely to benefit from the interest in the South Downs National Park.

The SDJC is a partner in the 'Collabor8' project which has secured just over 1 million to help
develop sustainable tourism and business partnerships in the region. The 'Collabor8' project taps into funding available from the EU’s Interreg 4B programme and is set to benefit the landscape a great deal.

The funding available aims to support clusters of local entrepreneurs who wish to make their businesses more sustainable and make the most of the local distinctiveness of the area.
For more information visit the South Downs website.

National Park Authority Establishment Team begins its work

From a small office in Midhurst, the South Downs National Park Authority Establishment Team, led by Dr Richard Shaw, has begun its work. The team will pave the way for the National Park Authority to sit in April 2010 and take up its full powers in April 2011.

The Establishment Team is focusing on organisational set-up, project management, communications and planning. The Team has recently produced its first newsletter which is available online. You can download your own copy from www.southdownsonline.org. You'll find information in the newsletter about subscribing to a regular Establishment Team update.

For further information about the designation of the South Downs National Park visit the South Downs website or the DEFRA website.