ACTOR Brian Blessed joined more than 100 walkers at Harting Down, near Petersfield, to support the campaign for the South Downs National Park. The event, the latest in a series of South Downs walks, was jointly organised by the Ramblers' Association in Hampshire and the South Downs Campaign. The aim is to highlight areas of the downs that should help form the future South Downs National Park. It also coincided with the 60th anniversary of the Hobhouse Commission's decision to include the South Downs as one of the areas for national park status. The high turnout was no doubt partly due to anger at the inspector's recommendation that the Westerrn Weald, an area that includes Petersfield, Liss, Midhurst, the Rother Valley, Woolbeeding Common and other beautiful stretches of countryside, should be excluded, said event leader Dr Owen Plunkett. Organisers welcome Brian Blessed, the outgoing president of the Council for National Parks, which plays a major part in the campaign. Mr Blessed was introduced by Kate Ashbrook, chairman of CNP, who said: "We are delighted that the inspector has recommended that the South Downs should become England's 10th national park. "However, given his radical proposals to exclude a large chunk of the Low Weald in Hampshire and West Sussex, there needs to be more time for consultation. "Our immediate reaction to the possible alternative northern boundary is that such a radical reduction would be a missed opportunity to protect this beautiful countryside for future generations. The logic of the inspector and his landscape adviser is flawed on this point and should be challenged." Mr Blessed began by extolling the beauty of the Downs and expressed outrage that the inspector had recommended that such a large area be excluded. Walkers took a nine-mile walk on the downs, including parts of the South Downs Way and Millpond Bottom. Dr Plunkett said: "We have waited 60 years, so we are most anxious that the SDNP should be created without delay, but it must include the Western Weald." For more details, call Dr Plunkett n 023 9225 4959 or e-mail [email protected]">[email protected].
