Breadcrumbs
New Forest National Park: Countryside Agency welcomes confirmation - 28 June 2004
Richard Wakeford, chief executive of the Countryside Agency, said: “We are delighted that the Secretary of State has confirmed our designation of the New Forest as a National Park. Today’s announcement is the culmination of a five-year process led by the Countryside Agency which has involved extensive consultation with local residents, landowners and businesses.
“The New Forest is a remarkable historic landscape of international importance, not least due to the good stewardship of the verderers, foresters and commoners. National Park status is the best way to protect this special area from the pressures that it continues to face. The creation of a dedicated National Park Authority will help to ensure coordinated, first-class land management, conserving this rich landscape, enhancing it for the enjoyment of current and future generations and driving forward sustainable development for the benefit of local communities and the nation as a whole,” Richard Wakeford added.
The New Forest is the most intact surviving example in England of a medieval hunting forest and pastoral system. The diversity of its landscape is unique, and includes woodland, open heathland and coastal land. Much of its landscape is also of importance to nature conservation and provides extensive recreational opportunities for walkers, riders, fishermen and others.
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Notes to editors:
1. The Countryside Agency is responsible for the designation of National Parks. Following any designation the Secretary of State can call for a public inquiry to be held and then makes a decision.
2. The New Forest National Park joins England’s family of seven existing National Parks: Dartmoor; Exmoor; Lake District; Northumberland; North York Moors; Peak District; and Yorkshire Dales. The Broads, while not a National Park, is recognised as an equivalent in status and is a member of the international family of National Parks.
3. The Countryside Agency designates National Parks under the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949 for the twin purposes of preserving and enhancing their natural beauty and of promoting their enjoyment by the public.
4. The Environment Act 1995 gives National Park Authorities (NPAs) the main purposes of: conserving and enhancing the natural beauty, wildlife and cultural heritage of the National Parks; and promoting opportunities for the understanding and enjoyment of the special qualities by the public.NPAs must also take account of the economic and social needs of local communities.
5. The Countryside Agency is the statutory body working to make life better for people in the countryside and to improve the quality of the countryside for everyone http://www.countryside.gov.uk/
Background briefing:
The New Forest will become England’s eighth National Park [1] and the first new National Park in nearly half a century.
The process
- The Countryside Agency began work to designate the New Forest as a National Park in 1999 by identifying a suitable boundary and preparing advice to government on the arrangements needed to set up a National Park Authority to manage the area and take into account the special circumstances within the forest.
- A public consultation was held on the boundary in late 2000, after which the proposals were revised as a result of new evidence put forward.
- In June 2001, local authorities [2] within the area were consulted.
- The Countryside Agency held seven public road-show events and received nearly 3600 responses to the public consultations from the public.
- In February 2002, under the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949, the Countryside Agency published a Designation Order for a New Forest National Park .
- A public inquiry was held to examine the boundary and administrative arrangements for the National Park. This ran from October 2002 through to April 2003.
- The Planning Inspector reported to Defra on his findings in December 2003. It is on the basis of his recommendations the Minister for Rural Affairs confirmed the Countryside Agency's decision to designate a New Forest National Park.
Facts and figures:
- The New Forest lies mainly in south-west Hampshire. Broadly it extends from east of the Avon valley to Southampton Water, and from the Solent Coast to the edge of the Wiltshire Chalk downs.
- Currently around 7 million day visits are made to the national park area of the New Forest each year. However research by University of Portsmouth (1996) has shown that this figure may underestimate the number of visits made by local people which boost the number of day visits to 18 million per year.
- Tourism makes the single most important contribution to the economy of the New Forest, providing 30% of all employment and £156million annually (2001 figures).
- 15 million people live within day-trip range (a 90-minute drive) extending to London and the major conurbations along the South Coast including Southampton, Bournemouth and Poole.
[1] Lake District, North York Moors, Northumberland, Peak District, Yorkshire Dales, Exmoor and Dartmoor. The Broads are recognised as having equivalent status to the National Parks, and is part of the National Park family, but is not a National Park. The last English National Park to be designated was Northumberland in 1956.
[2] New Forest District Council, Hampshire County Council, Wiltshire County Council, Dorset County Council, Test Valley Borough Council, Christchurch District Council, Salisbury District Council, East Dorset District Council
