Ramblers' Association welcomes the New Forest National Park, but ask "What's new?"
[28 June 2004]
The New Forest has today received the highest honour
in landscape protection by being designated as a National Park, the first such
designation in England this century. But huge swathes of beautiful countryside
around the edges have been excluded leaving mostly already protected areas
designated as National Park.
Emily Richmond, Head of Countryside Protection at the RA said, "This approach to
designation of a National Park in the 21st Century puts into question what the
priorities for environmental protection really are. Whilst additional protection
for areas already protected in some way are welcome, it's a great shame not to
extend that protection to other areas equally worthy of it."
"While National Park status for the New Forest is fantastic, the Government seems to have based its boundary decision on the erroneous view that all the areas included in the National Park have to be identical. The Government has seriously missed a trick here by accepting the Inspector's assessment that only land of a particular character should be included and going against the detailed work of its own Agency."
The Avon Valley to the west and coastal areas on Southampton Water have been excluded from the National Park. These areas are biologically rich, highly accessible to urban areas, provide wonderful views, offer a different kind of recreational experience, they fit the criteria for National Park status and would also help to relieve pressure on the honey pot areas of the New Forest.
John Thackray, chair of the New Forest RA group said, "Thousands of people from all over the country walk in the Forest every week. They come for the natural beauty, peace and tranquillity that it provides. Over the last 50 years, more and more of it has been eroded by development that has threatened the integrity of the area. We seriously question the decision to exclude some of the most beautiful parts of the Forest, such as St Catherine's Hill."
See pdf map of the New Forest National Park
For more information on the New Forest visit the DEFRA website