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Help us complete that Missing Link!

We need your input – creating a more accessible road network in the National Park

Help us complete that Missing Link!  Do you know of a missing road link that is deterring you from walking or cycling in the National Park? If you do read on……….

The Friends of the South Downs (South Downs Society), along with organisations such as CPRE Sussex, Transport Action Network and the Sussex Wildlife Trust support an alliance which aims to persuade local councils, the National Park and the Government to develop safe and sustainable transport as well as better land use in planning. This organisation is titled: SCATE (South Coast Alliance for Transport and the Environment).  

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A27 Arundel by-pass what happens next?

The river Arun looking north to Arundel (photo from our Policy Officer)

The current consultation is now finished. Click below to  read our comments sent last week to Highways England:

SDS Response to HE A27 Arundel By-pass proposals 22-10-2019 RevB.

Also HERE is a link to see: a) what we said to the National Park at their meeting on the 1st October and b) a link to the scheme we prefer.

What happens next?   Here is what Highways England say about future consultations:

  • All responses and comments received during the public consultation will be considered and summarised in our Public Consultation Report, which will be published on our scheme website. We will carefully consider the responses alongside several factors to determine our preferred route for the scheme.
  • Following a Preferred Route Announcement, we will develop detailed proposals. This will include further surveys and investigations to allow us to design the scheme in more detail.
  • There will be a further opportunity to have your say on the design of this preferred route during further public consultation prior to any application for consent.
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A27 Arundel Bypass – still time to have your say!  

Back in August we alerted Society members and the public of the Highways England announcement of a further consultation on yet more alternative routes for the Arundel bypass. This consultation is still open until 24 October 2019. Click HERE to see the updated consultation document and a link to give your views.

A number of campaigning groups have got together to support an ‘alternative’ route proposal to Highways England’s options. This has been published by the South Coast Alliance for Transport and the Environment (SCATE). Click HERE to see their proposal. Here you can also follow a link to support the Alternative Route.

At it’s meeting on 1st October the South Downs National Park Authority accepted the officers recommendation and turned down all 6 route options put forward by Highways England. As the recommendation to SDNPA members said about the rejection of the 6 routes This is a ‘holding objection’ pending the likely formal statutory planning consultation which is due to follow.

The Friends of the South Downs Policy Officer, Vic Ient, attended the National Park Authority meeting on the 1st October and  said to the members:

“Please consider the Alternative Route the South Coast Alliance for Transport and Environment (SCATE) have proposed. Please put forward proposals [to the Secretary of State] to dramatically improving air quality along the whole route of the A27 near the National Park, the provision of sustainable transport and an action plan to reducing carbon emissions from vehicles”.

Click HERE for the National Park short video of the address to the members.

 

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Glover Review – Independent review calls for radical plan for England’s National Parks

This long-awaited review was published on 21st September 2019. Click HERE to read the Glover committee summary and detailed report. We welcome the ambition of the review, and many of its recommendations, but it is also clear that a key issue will be – how the proposals are implemented in detail and over what timeframe?

We were pleased that the report quoted our national partner organisation – the Campaign for National Parks (CNP) several times and addressed many of their themes. Also, that it highlighted several initiatives in different National Parks which have been driven by / included significant input from the local park societies like the Friends of the South Downs.

The report says that they want to see public bodies recognise the status of national landscapes, as they do not always do so at present. The report goes further to say that the existing duty of ‘regard’ is too weak. He believes public bodies should be required to help further the purposes of National Parks.

The Society will be reviewing the 168-page report in detail along with the SDNPA response (click HERE). This will help us prepare for the campaign to actually get the recommendations implemented by the Government.

Key recommendations include:

  • A new National Landscapes Service
  • Creating a 1,000 strong ranger service
  • Giving more help to children to connect with nature
  • A transformed approach to recover and enhance nature, working with farmers and conservation groups to reverse years of decline and bring landscapes alive
  • Backing for new National Parks

We would welcome your comments which you can send to our Policy Officer, Vic Ient : vic.ient@southdownssociety.org.uk

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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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Consultation & Climate Change are key issues at National Park’s planning meeting on housing development in Petersfield

At the South Downs National Park’s planning committee meeting on 8th August, the Friends of the South Downs (South Downs Society) challenged the National Park in five key areas over a planning application for a large commercial and housing development North of Buckmore Farm, Beckham Lane, Petersfield consisting of a just under a 5,000sqm  business site and a residential site for up to 85 residential houses*.

This is what the Society’s Policy Officer, Vic Ient, said to the committee on Thurs 8th August: Click here to see the SDNPA Video recording   Also using this link you will be able to see the full debate and presentation.

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Review of Critical Planning & Highways Issues in the South Downs National Park

Ruth Bradshaw of the Campaign for National Parks and Vic Ient of the Friends of the South Downs reviewing planning issues in the SDNP

The Campaign for National Parks and the Friends of the South Downs (South Downs Society) joined forces this month in a review of some of the critical planning and highways issues in and near the South Downs National Park.  Ruth Bradshaw, the Policy and Research Manager of Campaign for National Parks  met up with Vic Ient, the Policy & Planning Officer of the Friends of the South Downs, last week and undertook a tour of the ‘hot spots’ of the eastern and central area of the South Downs National Park.

The review encompassed:

Lewes area – Arundel A27 by-pass plans, – Shoreham Cement Works – Super-store & 600 home development near Shoreham Airport – 800 homes development at Toad’s Hole Valley near the National Park on the edge of Brighton & Hove City Council area  – A 10,000 home new town development proposal north of the downland villages Poyning and Fulking. The field trip finished of by visiting the site of the commercial and 3200 homes development going ahead at Burgess Hill. Our report of the field trip are:

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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.

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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.

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Friends of the South Downs raise concerns about the lack of measures to tackle climate change on major development in Lewes

On Thursday 11th April, at the South Downs National Park Planning meeting, detailed plans for the latest phase of the North Street Quarter development in Lewes were approved. This is despite concerns that the scheme did not go far enough to reduce carbon emissions.

Vic Ient, Policy Officer of the Friends of the South Downs, who attended the meeting and addressed the National Park members said the Society had great concerns about the lack of importance given to tackling climate change in the application.

See Sussex Express article.