South Downs National Park Inquiry

Home Page

DEFRA has announced that, following their recent consultation on new issues relating to the South Downs National Park (Designation) Order 2002, the Secretary of State has decided to re-open the public inquiry. DEFRA website

The inquiry re-opened at 10am on Tuesday 12 February 2008 at The Chatsworth Hotel, Steyne, Worthing, West Sussex, BN11 3DU. Mr Robert Neil Parry, BA DipTP MRTPI, is holding the re-opened inquiry.

The current programme is on the Inquiry Programme page. Progress/news about the inquiry is on the News page.

The Inspector has been asked by DEFRA to consider, in the context of the terms of the original inquiry, the following specific issues:

i. any implications for the Designation Order (as varied by the Variation Order) arising directly as a result of the revised National Parks legislation – amendments to the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949 made by the Natural Environment and Rural Communities (NERC) Act 2006;

ii. any implications for the Designation Order (as varied by the Variation Order) arising directly as a result of the High Court and Court of Appeal Judgments in the challenge by Meyrick Estate Management Ltd relating to the New Forest National Park;

iii. the possible alternative boundary line from north of Petersfield running east across to Pulborough, produced by Natural England at Defra's request, based on a recommendation in the South Downs Inquiry Report Volume 1, Part 2 (para 2.71); and

iv. those possible additional areas of land recommended for inclusion within the proposed South Downs National Park against which there have been objections.

The Inspector has also been asked to indicate if any other points raised during the further public consultation that was held during the period 2nd July to 24th September 2007 have caused him to change any of his recommendations.

The original inquiry formally closed on Wednesday 23 March 2005 after 91 sitting days and 23 accompanied site visits. The Inspector submitted his report to DEFRA but a decision has been delayed by several legal complications during the reporting period. Defra Letter - Dated February 2006 24kb

A High Court judgment of November 2006 resulted in a small area of land being taken out of the New Forest National Park. The judgment also changed the basis on which the natural beauty and recreation criteria for designating a National Park are judged. An appeal by DEFRA against the judgment was heard in February 2007 and was rejected by the appeal court judges. Meyrick Judgement 1.62mb

In response to this, Parliament introduced two provisions the Natural Environment and Rural Communities (NERC) Act 2006 which aim to return the interpretation of the statutory designation criteria to the way they were generally understood previously. NE Summary of Implications of NERC Act 76kb

On 16 March 2007 DEFRA announced that work on resolving the matter of the South Downs National Park designation would restart. Defra letter Mar 07 27kb

A period of public consultation commenced on 2 July 2007, resulting in the announcement of the re-opening of the inquiry.

How to view PDF documents

PDF files can be viewed using Adobe's Acrobat Reader. You can download Acrobat Reader free of charge from the Adobe website. Visit Access Adobe to find out how people with visual disabilities can get the most from this software.

---

Accessibility | Contact Us | Privacy Statement | Site Feedback | Site Map
Planning Portal | Directgov | Gov news | Crown Copyright © 2004

---