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National Parks: South Downs

My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Hilary Benn) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement. I am pleased to announce my decision on the establishment of the South Downs National Park. I have carefully considered both of the inspector's reports on the public inquiries into the South Downs National Park (Designation) Order 2002, as varied, made by the Countryside Agency under the provisions of the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949. In line with the inspector's recommendations, I have decided that the area now proposed for designation meets the criteria for a national park, subject to modifications, and should be managed by a national park authority to be established under the provisions of the Environment Act 1995. I therefore intend to confirm the designation order, with modifications, so creating the South Downs National Park. The inspector recommended the deletion of some areas within Natural England’s proposed designation, and recommended adding others. Full details of my intended boundary, subject only to the new additions referred to below, will be released in my decision letter today, a copy of which, together with an illustrative map, will appear on my department’s website. Copies of the inspector's latest report, addendum, illustrative map and my decision letter will be placed in the Libraries of the House. There are five "new" additional areas recommended by the inspector (which were not consulted upon between the two inquiries), as well as one other "new" additional area which I believe warrants further consideration/inclusion. Depending on the outcome of these there may be one further deletion. Under the provisions of the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949, details of the proposed new additions to the designation order boundary will be made available to the public to enable any objections, representations and comments to be made. This period will last for 12 weeks. Details of where and when details of the proposed additions can be viewed, and the time limits for the receipt of objections, representations and comments, will be advertised shortly in the national and local press. I will consider all duly made objections, representations and comments and if necessary call a public inquiry or a hearing to consider them. When the boundary is finalised, I will announce the confirmation of the designation order with its final modifications as well as the date for the creation of the South Downs National Park. When I confirm the designation order, I intend also to confirm the orders made by the Countryside Agency to revoke both the East Hampshire area of outstanding natural beauty and the Sussex Downs area of outstanding natural beauty, to coincide with the national park coming into being. The South Downs National Park as now indicated would cover over 99 per cent of the land currently designated as areas of outstanding natural beauty and it would be inappropriate to have concurrent national landscape designations. Following the conclusion of the further steps required to confirm the designation order; I propose to bring forward an order under the provisions of the Environment Act 1995 to create a national park authority. I expect the new authority to be established from April 2010 and to take on its full range of statutory powers and functions from 1 April 2011.