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A27 Arundel Bypass further consultation: Have your say!

In preparation for a busy autumn season in planning and highways the Friends of the South Downs and the Campaign for National Parks

R to L: Emma Tristram of MAVES, Ruth Bradshaw of the Campaign for National Parks, David Johnson of CPRE Sussex and Vic Ient, Policy Officer of the Friends of the South Downs during their visit to Binstead Wood.

undertook a review of critical planning & highways issues in the South Downs National Park. This included a visit to the possible routes for the proposed Highways England A27 by-pass. Click here for our report on this visit. The promised further consultation has now been announced:

Highways England are holding a further public consultation about the A27 Arundel Bypass scheme between Friday 30 August and Thursday 24 October 2019.  The consultation will open with a special exhibition preview on Friday 30 August at the Cathedral Centre in Arundel showing the proposals and asking for views on the new information. If you are unable to come, you may wish to visit one of the public consultation events listed below.

Here is a copy of the notification our Society has received: Arundel A27 Highways England Fri 16 Aug 2019

Friends of the South Downs will:

We think it is important to study the documents and attend the consultation before commenting. See: https://highwaysengland.co.uk/projects/a27-arundel-improvement/

We are interested in your views. Please email us at: enquiries@southdownssociety.org.uk

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Chalk Streams of Hampshire

A recent episode of the BBC Countryfile series featured iconic chalk streams, tackling pollution of water courses and the reduction of chemical fertilizers in farming amongst other things. The iconic world-class, crystal-clear chalk streams of Hampshire in the South Downs National Park kick-off this episode.

The TV programme opened with the feature on the crystal-clear waters of chalk streams in Hampshire within the pristine landscape and with these opening remarks “Chalk streams are a resource to be treasured and protected; they are almost unique to Southern England.” Countryfile visits Cheriton in the Hampshire, part of the South Downs National Park, through which the river Itchen flows from its nearby source. We see volunteers working to keep the water clear. Over recent years they have transformed the stream keeping it clear and free flowing. An expert shows us how to test for pollution from ‘brightening agents’ used in washing machine powders and liquids which could enter water courses through broken pipes.

READ MORE…

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News from Campaign for National Parks

Bill Bryson, Carol Vorderman and others call to increase school visits to National Parks

17 celebrities including award winning writer Bill Bryson, Gordon Buchanan, Carol Vorderman and Caroline Quentin have come together to call for urgent action to get more school children into the National Parks.
 
The well-known names signed an open letter organised by Campaign for National Parks, Campaign to Protect Rural England, Open Spaces Society, Ramblers and the YHA.

The Westminster Government has an explicit goal to double the number of young people experiencing National Parks. On the 70th anniversary of National Parks the celebrities and organisations feel it is urgent that government keeps this promise.

READ MORE…

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Registration of historic rights of way and of the benefits of extending the cut-off date for their registration – House of Lords Short Debate

On Tuesday 2nd April the House of Lords held a short debate to discuss the benefits of extending the 2026 cut-off date for registration of historic rights of way. Our President, Baroness Maggie Jones, spoke in this debate in support of an extension with a mention of the society, “… as the President of the Friends of the South Downs – which does fantastic work campaigning to protect and preserve the landscape of the South Downs National Park and providing a huge range of guided walks on the footpaths and bridleways.”

“The rights of way network is one of our nation’s greatest assets: it connects people to nature and our rural environment and describes how our ancestors interacted with, and enjoyed, the landscape over centuries.

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‘Friends of the South Downs’ support Centurion Way!

The Friends of the South Downs have expressed their concerns about plans to divert the Chichester end of the Centurion Way for the Whitehouse Farm housing development and have joined support to call on Chichester planners to protect the well used green route from permanent damage.

The Society’s Policy Officer, Steve Ankers comments ‘’ The Society shares the concerns of the Friends of Centurion Way about the threat to the path from the proposed southern access to the housing development. As well as local use, the Way is of course also an important route to and from the delights of the National Park, and we are concerned that any re-routing will damage this key asset. We will continue our support, as we did on phase 1 of Whitehouse Farm, and will raise concerns regarding the further planning applications that are to be put forward. Our Society want to retain an undamaged Centurion Way, and not just within the Park area.

READ MORE…

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Shaping the future of England’s strategic roads

The government’s agency for planning and maintaining the trunk road network, Highways England, has been consulting on its plans for future investment. The Campaign for National Parks (CNP), which works closely with all the national park “Friends” groups, has submitted the following response to the consultation, which is fully endorsed by the Society. 

February 2018

1. The Campaign for National Parks is the independent national voice for the 13
National Parks in England and Wales. Our mission is to inspire everyone to enjoy
and look after National Parks – the nation’s green treasures. We have been
campaigning for over 80 years to ensure that our National Parks are beautiful,
inspirational places that are relevant, valued and protected for all.

2. National Parks are our finest landscapes with the highest level of protection. They
contribute significantly to the well-being of the nation, by providing safe, attractive,
healthy places for recreation. They also deliver key environmental resources and
services, like water provision and carbon storage in peat soils and forests, which can
mitigate the effects of climate change. As well as being inspiring places for people to
enjoy and improve their health and well-being, National Parks make a significant
contribution to the economy through tourism, farming, and other related businesses.
The English National Parks currently attract 94 million visitors a year, who spend
more than £5 billion and support 75,000 full time equivalent tourism related jobs.

3. All of the English National Parks are affected to some extent by the strategic road
network (SRN) and several have significant lengths of this network within or close to
their boundaries. It is therefore essential that the plans for RIS2 take full account of
the additional planning protection that applies in National Parks. We are very
concerned at the potential for RIS2 to include road schemes which could be
extremely damaging for National Parks, undermining their special qualities and
putting at risk the significant economic benefits that these areas provide. There is
evidence that road schemes justified on the basis of reduced journey times fail to
deliver the promised economic benefits2 and such schemes would be particularly
damaging in areas such as National Parks where the economy is heavily dependent
on a high quality environment.

4. We are particularly concerned at the threat posed to the Peak District National Park
by the revised Trans-Pennine Tunnel study and proposals for major upgrades to the
A628. The decision to shorten the length of the proposed tunnel means that most of
the upgraded route would be above ground through the National Park, or adjacent to
its boundary and within the setting of the Park. While we do not yet know exactly
what is planned for the A628, it appears from the information about expressways in
the SRN Initial Report that the plan is to upgrade the road to motorway standard.
Such extensive road-building is completely inappropriate in a National Park.

5. There is a long-established presumption against significant road widening or the
building of new roads in National Parks. This is clearly set out in paragraph 5.152 of
the National Policy Statement for National Networks3 published in 2014, which states
that “there is a strong presumption against any significant road widening or the
building of new roads and strategic rail freight interchanges in a National Park, the
Broads and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, unless it can be shown there are
compelling reasons for the new or enhanced capacity and with any benefits
outweighing the costs very significantly. Planning of the Strategic Road Network
should encourage routes that avoid National Parks, the Broads and Areas of
Outstanding Natural Beauty.”

6. In addition, paragraphs 5.150 and 5.151 of the National Policy Statement for National
Networks reiterate the more general presumption against major development in
National Parks, which is also set out in paragraphs 115 and 116 of the National
Planning Policy Framework. The Government emphasised the additional planning
protection for National Parks in the recent 25 Year Environment Plan (p57)
alongside strong support for greater enhancement of our landscapes.

7. Furthermore, Highways England also has a duty to take account of the potential
effect of its decisions and activities on National Park purposes, including activities
undertaken outside National Park boundaries which may affect land within them.

National Parks’ statutory purposes as set out in the Environment Act 1995 are:
 to conserve and enhance natural beauty, wildlife and cultural heritage; and
 to promote opportunities for public enjoyment and understanding of their special
qualities.

8. This means that Highways England should be seeking to conserve and enhance
National Parks through all of its activities. High volumes of traffic already have a
negative impact on the tranquillity and natural environment in some parts of our
National Parks. It is completely inappropriate to propose projects which would
increase these negative impacts. Instead Highways England should be
demonstrating how it has fulfilled this duty by placing a much stronger emphasis in
RIS2 on measures to reduce the negative impacts of the SRN on National Parks.
This should include, for example, a commitment to prioritise these areas for
measures which reduce noise and light pollution such as low impact lighting and
noise-reducing road surfacing. Tranquillity and dark skies are two of the special
qualities for which many areas of National Parks are particularly valued.

9. Highways England should also be demonstrating that it takes its responsibilities
towards National Parks seriously by actively managing demand for road capacity on
sections of the SRN which pass through National Parks and instead encouraging the use of routes which avoid these protected areas; and placing a much stronger emphasis on investment, and promotion of, public transport as an alternative to roadbuilding.

10. Unfortunately, our recent experience with proposals for the SRN in other National
Parks provides evidence that Highways England does not always take account of the
additional protection afforded these areas. For example, the consultation on the A27
Arundel bypass last autumn only included options which involved unacceptable
damage to the South Downs National Park and failed to take account of alternative
options that would have reduced the impact on the National Park.

11. The consultation document states that one of the key aims of RIS2 is to “make a
positive contribution to the environment”. This will only happen if Highways England
takes its responsibilities towards National Parks seriously. We therefore seek a
reassurance that the strong presumption against significant road widening or the
building of new roads in National Parks will be upheld and that damaging proposals
such as the A628 upgrade will be abandoned.