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A National Park for the South Downs: News Update

An Interim Chief Executive, Dr Richard Shaw, has been appointed by Defra to lead the process of establishing a National Park Authority for the South Downs.

Who will be advising the Interim Chief Executive?

Dr Shaw will be advised on the structure and administration of the new Authority by a steering group, which has already been established by the Government’s Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). This comprises representatives from Defra, local councils, The South Downs Joint Committee, The Government Office of the South East and Natural England. There is also a member from the Peak District National Park to promote links with the UK's family of National Parks.

A further group will advise Dr Shaw on the interests of environmental groups and people living and working in the protected area. This group comprises South Downs Joint Committee Members and our established Advisory Forum, including representatives from organisations such as the National Farmers’ Union, The Wildlife Trusts, The South Downs Society and the Campaign to Protect Rural England.

Through these two groups, it is expected that a wide range of voices will be heard and that organisations involved will be able to inform their members.

What happens next?

The next step is to build a small transition team to develop important areas such as planning and communications. This work will ensure that the new Authority operates as efficiently as possible. We will update this page as soon as we have further news.

A ‘shadow’ National Park Authority is planned to be established by April 2010 and this is expected to be fully operational in April 2011.

The South Downs Joint Committee’s work protecting, conserving and enhancing the landscape will continue as before. The area is already protected by its AONB status and local people, businesses and visitors should not encounter disruption during the transition.

What about AONB areas not included in a National Park?

When the NP boundary is confirmed, the AONB designation will be revoked. About 800 ha of land (made up of 70 small pockets of land) will lose their AONB status and will be excluded from the National Park.Outstanding Natural Beauty, to coincide with the National park coming into being.

These include areas of land that have been at least partially built on, the largest being the University of Sussex and land south of the Shoreham bypass. The most significant piece of undeveloped land excluded is Toads Hole Valley, south of the Brighton bypass. It will be up to the local authorities to decide whether any local protective designation should now be applied to any of these pockets of land.

Where does the National Park boundary lie?

The National Park boundary contains 99% of the land which is currently protected as two Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It includes the Western Weald, Lewes and Ditchling, reversing the Inspector’s recommendation in his original Inquiry report, but excludes Steyning and Arundel.

There are also six additional areas, which were not included in previous consultations, but which have now been recommended for inclusion. These can be viewed at www.defra.gov.uk/wildlife-countryside/protected-areas/national-parks/south-downs/additions.htm. These additions are subject to 12 weeks’ public consultation (closing 13 July) before they can be confirmed.

A detailed map of the whole boundary is available at the Natural England website at www.naturalengland.gov.uk/ourwork/conservation/designatedareas/new/southdowns/default.aspx

Could the decision still be appealed against?

‘Other than the six additional areas (noted above), which are subject to a new consultation exercise, the only remaining avenue for challenge is if a person questions the validity of the South Downs National Parks (Designation) Order 2002 on the grounds that it is not within the powers of the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949, or that the 1949 Act has not been complied with in relation to the making of the Order.

In that case there will be a 6 week period after the date of publication of the confirmation notice in which a person can make a High Court challenge.’ Defra

The work of the South Downs Joint Committee in protecting, conserving and enhancing the South Downs AONBs will continue as before, through any challenge, until the National Park Authority is fully operational.

Defra’s helpline on telephone: 08459 33 55 77 is open Mon-Fri: 8am to 6pm
Email: helpline@defra.gsi.gov.uk

How does a National Park differ from an AONB in terms of Management?

AONBs are managed by a partnership of stakeholders. The South Downs AONBs are currently managed by the South Downs Joint Committee (SDJC), a collaboration of 15 local authorities and Natural England created to manage the area whilst a decision on its designation was made. The SDJC works with annually agreed budgets and was never intended to be a permanent body.

The National Park will be managed by a National Park Authority (NPA), a robust, permanent body which will be set up over the course of around 2 years. In the meantime, the South Downs will continue to be managed by the SDJC. The structure of the new NPA is currently being decided by Defra, but it will take into account local and national interests.

The NPA is likely to have at least 29 members, including 15 representatives from local government, plus those appointed by the Secretary of State, which will include members of Parish Councils.

How will planning rules change?

The South Downs is already protected by its AONB status, so planning and development rules will be the same.

The NPA will become the planning authority for the area within the boundary. The NPA may choose to delegate aspects of this work to established local planning authorities. This is still to be agreed upon.

National Park status will not preclude further development. The aim is not to maintain a nostalgic, ‘trapped in time’ Park, but a living, working landscape with protected local distinctiveness for future generations to enjoy.

How will access rules change?

The National Park confirmation will not, in itself, alter any access rules on any land. The area has been protected by its AONB status for many years and contains established rights of way and open access areas. None of these will change as a result of the confirmation of the National Park.

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 makes funding available to clusters of local entrepreneurs who wish to make their businesses more sustainable and make the most of the local distinctiveness of the area.

Find out more about COLLABOR8 by clicking on 'Proctecting the Landscape' and then 'COLLABOR8'.

Will the South Downs be overwhelmed by visitors?

As two AONBs, the South Downs already records around 39 million visitor days every year. This is more than any other 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 may be expected, the South Downs Joint Committee 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. You can find out more about these by clicking on 'Visit South Downs'.

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