EAST Hampshire District Council has approved the inclusion of Alice Holt Forest in the new South Downs National Park, despite the fact it will mean a loss of planning control.

Members of the councils Better Protected Panel were almost unanimous, at a meeting last Thursday, in voting to support to a recommendation, by the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), Hilary Benn, that Alice Holt - left out when the first South Downs National Park map was drawn - should be included to protect it and bring tourism benefits to the local economy.

For full story, see this week's Bordon Herald.