The South Downs should be designated a National Park, the Countryside Agency will tell the public inquiry into the South Downs National Park next week (Monday 10 November). 
Countryside Agency Archive

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Next Step towards a new National Park - 10 November 2003

Since work began in the South Downs in April 2000, the Countryside Agency, who are responsible for the designation of National Parks in England, has undertaken a series of consultations with the public and local authorities to help them reach this important decision, including its three-month public consultation with 23 road shows.


The South Downs is an area of outstanding countryside within the busy and prosperous South East, and is already a popular tourist destination receiving 39 million day visitors per year*. This puts pressure on the area and the subsequent need for a balance between conservation and sustainable economic growth that provides for the needs of the local community. The Countryside Agency believes a South Downs National Park Authority focused and committed to this task will prove the most effective means to achieving this. 

There has also been widespread enthusiasm for a South Downs National Park from the general public. When the designation order was advertised in January this year the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs received over 6000 representations; around half of these were standard letters and of the remainder, almost three-quarters (72%) were in support of the principle and almost all of the objections regarding the boundary (90%) argued for additional areas to be added, two-thirds of which were from people who support the principle of a national park in the South Downs.

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Notes to editors:

For further information please contact Countryside Agency regional PR adviser John Rennie on 07976 666969, or Mel Capper in the Countryside Agency national press office on 020 7340 2909.

*Visitor information:  The Countryside Agency  recently carried out a survey of visitors to the South Downs which revealed that: there are 39 million day visits a year to the National Park area; £333m is spent on these visits of which £178m is directly received by tourist-related businesses in the local area; a further £24m is generated by tourist businesses spending part of their turnover on stock, overheads, etc. and; Over 8,000 jobs are dependent (directly and indirectly) on this income of which 93% live in or next to the South Downs.

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/ 

The report of the National Park Committee chaired by Sir Arthur Hobhouse in 1947 identified twelve potential national parks in England, including the South Downs.

Background briefing into the South Downs National Park: 

1. The Countryside Agency is in no doubt that the South Downs meet the natural beauty criterion described in the 1949 National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act. It is different in character to most of our existing national parks, but when Hobhouse outlined his vision for National Parks he said ‘it would be wrong to confine the selection of National Parks to the more rugged areas of mountain and moorland, and to exclude other districts, which though of less outstanding grandeur and wildness have their own distinctive beauty and a high recreational value.’ As well as being outstandingly beautiful and rich in wildlife and history, the Downs are an exceptional recreational resource of national importance, accessible, including by public transport, to a large urban population, and offer a sense of relative wildness. On this basis, the Downs certainly offer open air recreational opportunities of National Park quality.

2. National Parks are designated 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. In 1995 Parliament added that National Park Authorities should take account of the economic and social needs of local communities. The Environment Act 1995 revised the main purposes to: conserving and enhancing the natural beauty, wildlife and cultural heritage of the National Parks; and promoting opportunities for the understanding and enjoyment of their special qualities by the public. National Park Authorities are currently funded at 75% of approved expenditure from central government, with 25% coming via local authorities, which are compensated for this by central government. Members are appointed by local authorities, from parish councils and by the Secretary of State.

Pressures the area faces:

  • The South Downs is an area of outstanding countryside within the busy and prosperous South East. This leads to many pressures, and to the need for a balance to be struck between conservation and sustainable economic growth.
  • The areas growing modern economy means it is under increasing pressure for development. This development pressure has to be planned for in a way that does not detract from the special qualities and character of the Downs, whilst also ensuring that the area continues to be a place where people can live and work. There are a number of other pressures, including agricultural changes, recreational use and climate change. The conservation and enhancement of the outstanding landscape character, biodiversity and cultural heritage of the Downs is a long-term project that will require integrated management by a permanent body.
  • This is already a heavily visited area, under significant recreational pressure. There is likely to be a rise in the demand for recreation as more people come to live and work in the area, whether or not the South Downs is designated as a National Park.      

Public responses:

There were around 6000 representations made to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs during the deposit period. Around half of these were standard letters co-ordinated by organisations and referred to specific boundary issues. Of the remaining representations almost three quarters (72%) were in support of the principle of a South Downs National Park and the majority of those were from individuals. This clearly shows there is widespread enthusiasm for a South Downs National Park. Almost all of the objections regarding the boundary (90%) are arguing for additional areas to be added and two thirds of those representations came from people who support the principle of a national park in the South Downs. Only 5% of those sending non-standardised letters objected to the principle of a South Downs National Park. Over half of these were from local authorities and landowners.