MP's warning over park boundary

Mayor of Petersfield Vaughan Clarke (left) hands the petition to Mr Mates

An MP has warned that excluding an area of Hampshire and West Sussex from the proposed South Downs National Park would prove "fatal".

Michael Mates MP said excluding the Western Weald will lead to development.

The boundaries of the proposed park were re-drawn last year, leaving out Liss and Petersfield in Hampshire, and Midhurst and Petworth in West Sussex.

Mr Mates was speaking as he took delivery of a 10,000 signature petition to support including the Western Weald.

'Strong local feeling'

The government excluded the Western Weald, on the advice of a planning inspector following a public inquiry, because its sandstone geology differs from the majority of the park's chalk downs.

Mr Mates, MP for east Hampshire, plans to present the petition to the government.

"The inspector, for reasons we still don't understand, decided to take the Western Weald, out of [the park boundary].

"Our aim is to persuade the government that the inspector was wrong.

The proposed national park runs from Eastbourne to Winchester

"This is an area of outstanding natural beauty and it would lose its status and put pressure on development.

"If it is left out it would open it up to developers with almost no restrictions at all and that would be fatal."

The South Downs is the only one of 12 areas originally recommended 60 years ago by the National Park Committee which still does not have the status.

The 330 sq km Western Weald represents about 20% of the South Downs.

Signatures to support its inclusion in the park, to protest it from future development, were gathered by The South Downs Campaign (SDC).

John Venning, of the SDC, said: "This is further evidence as to how strongly local people believe the Western Weald should be in the National Park."

A final decision on the national park boundary is expected to be announced early this summer.