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| • Deputy Leader, Councillor Barry Rickman at Appletree Court, Lyndhurst, the home of New Forest District Council. |
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The boundaries of the New Forest National Park do not reflect the true extent of the area that needs to be protected, says New Forest District Council.
Although the council would have preferred a tailor-made National Park, it looks forward to working with the new National Park Authority which has been announced today.
However, the council expressed great surprise as the details of the National Park boundaries emerged.
These differ dramatically from the boundaries proposed by the Countryside Agency and exclude the towns of Lymington and Ringwood, Dibden Bay, Bransgore, Milford, and large areas to the North of Totton and in the Avon Valley.
"The exclusion of these areas is a surprise and a disappointment," says Deputy Leader, Barry Rickman.
"We are also disappointed that the composition of the Park Authority will not be tailored to the unique needs of this area and the organisations which have guarded it well for generations.
However, the New Forest District Council will work hard to ensure that the interests of New Forest people are safeguarded whether they are in the National Park or outside.
The way the boundaries have been drawn makes it vital that we work constructively with the new Park Authority when it is formed."
The council is also waiting to hear about the detailed arrangements for the planning and administration of the National Park.
"The Inspector appears to have accepted that it would be a good thing if the development control arrangements within the National Park were delegated back to the local authority.
However, we understand that the Minister has not made any final recommendation on this," says Chief Executive, Dave Yates.
The council is studying the details of the announcement and will make a further statement later in the week. |
