Category Archives: SDNPA

South Downs National Park Authority

SDNPA issues first article 4 direction

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Soberton view
The Hampshire Chronicle reports:

For the first time, the national park authority has removed planning rights for a field at Bere Farm, Soberton, following concerns that the owner was preparing to subdivide it with fences. .. The 20-hectare field has been recognised for its contribution to local views by the Soberton and Newtown Village Design Statement. The article 4 direction removes ‘permitted development’ rights for fences and gates to help protect the panorama. It does not prohibit their erection but means that planning permission is needed beforehand.

The full report is here and the SDNPA press release is here.

In A Gadda Da Vida [update]

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Shoreham Cement Works interior by Darren Nisbett
The West Sussex County Times has been hearing the views of Hargreaves Group, the owner of the mooted iron butterfly sanctuary:

Some references in the media weren’t entirely true. We can’t agree with the SDNPA about what the proposed development will be. They want nice green fields and we don’t want a development unless it’s commercially feasible for us and that there’s some housing developments. The site currently has a B2 General Industrial use, which allows businesses to use the site within designated hours. We have tenants on the West of the site and we get a good return. We could sit on it for the next 20 years and not develop, but we want to work with the parish council and everyone to develop a worthwhile site. It’s a bit of a blight on the landscape and we want to develop it but we are looking at tens of millions of pounds. We’re willing to put in nice walkways and grass land, but we don’t want a butterfly sanctuary.

Read the rest of the report here. Our earlier post is here.

Update 23rd July: Hargreaves have more to say here.

Ash to ashes [update 2]

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Leaves on infected ash
The Midhurst and Petworth Observer reports:

In a report to an [SDNP] authority meeting, chief executive Trevor Beattie told members three cases of ash dieback (Chalara Fraxinea) had been confirmed inside the park. In addition, four cases had been reported just outside the boundaries near Chichester, Horsham and Eastbourne which, he said, risked spreading the disease into the national park. ..

Mr Beattie said: “There is no cure for ash dieback, the disease is here to stay and is expected to spread through the ash population from east to west .. evidence from the past two seasons suggests the spread is slower than expected and spores are moving at a rate of about 10km a year.”

Read the full story here.

A barren, flat land

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SDNPA Discovery Map filtered by viewpoints
If you click the image above you will be taken to the SDNPA’s “Discovery Map” of the National Park set to display all the viewpoints. As you will immediately discover, there are no viewpoints in the National Park. Obviously, that’s because the South Downs, like the Netherlands, is completely flat. Apart from the hyperbolically named Alice Holt Forest, there are no woods either. There are no art galleries, no gardens and no vineyards. If you are consulting this map in order to “Find out what the National Park has to offer!”, the answer from the Midhurst box-tickers is clear: very little.

GJMG

What are the roots that clutch, what branches grow out of this stony rubbish?

A restoration precedent

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The restored cart shed at Up Marden
Work has now been completed on the conservation of a 200-year-old cart shed in Up Marden, West Sussex. The project, a pilot which could be rolled out for other ‘Heritage at Risk’ across the South Downs has been carried out in partnership between the SDNPA, Weald & Downland Open Air Museum, Natural England and the landowner. The museum oversaw a programme of repair works through a new outreach programme giving museum students first-hand experience in masonry and timber frame conservation skills. This was the first conservation project that the museum had undertaken outside the museum grounds. The museum’s new outreach service could help the SDNPA to repair other historic buildings across the National Park. More here.

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The Fulking reservoirs and C19 water supply? Summersdeane Farm? Perching watermill? Rat’s Ramble? Perching Hill Barn? Fulking Grange?

SDNPA wins the lottery

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SDNPA wins the lottery
The Heathlands Reunited project will be led by the South Downs National Park Authority, working in partnership with Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Trust, Butterfly Conservation, Defence Estates (Home Counties), Forestry Commission, Hampshire County Council, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust, Sussex Wildlife Trust, National Trust, Natural England, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, The Lynchmere Society and West Sussex County Council. More information here.

Horsdean traveller site gets ministerial approval

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Horsdean traveller site
The Argus reports:

The Department for Communities and Local Government have confirmed that they will not be calling in a planning application for 12 permanent residential traveller pitches at Horsdean .. the Secretary of State confirmed the site will be given the go-ahead following his scrutiny. Brighton & Hove City Council will now be able to go ahead with their plans to create the site, which extends and improves an existing traveller transit site just to the east of Patcham on the north side of the A27.

Earlier coverage here.

The Queen’s Speech

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Running to keep in the same place

Governance of National Parks Draft Bill

The purpose of the Bill is to enable the composition of National Parks’ authorities to be broadened in the future. The main purpose of the draft Bill would be to provide for the holding of local elections to the authorities.

1 Direct elections

Enable eligible residents of the National Parks to directly elect some of the Authority members responsible for running their Park and taking planning decisions.

2 Amending the political balance requirement on local authority appointees

Allow local authorities to depart from the political balance rule if they appoint three or more members to the Park Authority where doing so would allow them to appoint a representative of a ward within the Park.

3 Allowing a wider range of parish representation

Allow parish councils to select their representatives to a Park Authority more widely. Currently they must select a parish councillor or chairman. They would be enabled to include anyone eligible to stand as a parish councillor.