Forest plan extension considered

Hundreds of people protested about the plan at the weekend

People living in Hampshire's New Forest may be granted more time to consider controversial proposals that would change the way the area is run.

The New Forest National Park Authority said it was considering bringing in a number of changes, including the amount of space recreational horses are given.

The draft National Park Plan also proposes changing planning rules.

A public consultation is due to end on 31 October, but may be extended to allow more people to have their say.

The New Forest National Park Authority says its prime focus is protecting the park for another millennium and that it must move with the times.

If you read through the report, every other phrase seems to criticise horse-riding and horse-keeping Tina Cant Forest Uprising Group

On Saturday, about 700 people turned out at Wilverley Plain, near Brockenhurst, to protest at the proposed changes, which would include horse owners having to seek planning permission to keep animals for recreational use, dog-free car parks and tolls on New Forest roads.

Many people said they had found it hard to get a hard copy of the proposed plan, which runs to nearly 300 pages and can be found on the New Forest National Park Authority website.

Barry Rickman, of the park authority, said it would now consider an extension to the public consultation.

"What I will do, is now go back to the park authority and see if we can extend the period of time in some way to allow more people to get access to the information," he said.

Tina Cant, from the Forest Uprising Group, attended Saturday's protest: "We are struggling to understand the motivation.

"If you read through the report, every other phrase seems to criticise horse-riding and horse-keeping.

"It's very strange because horses are an integral part of the fabric of the forest, and have been for the last 1,000 years, and are very much a part of the economy of the New Forest."

The New Forest National Park Authority was created five years ago to help preserve the unique character of the New Forest.