PETERSFIELD town councillors were hoping for a big turnout last night (Thursday) when they were due to hold a public meeting to discuss proposals for the South Downs National Park.
The meeting, which was set to be chaired by town mayor Ken Hick, was taking place in the Festival Hall.
It was organised by the town council to give townspeople a chance to air their views on the plans to form a new national park.
The park will stretch from Eastbourne to Winchester and could take in as much as half of the district of East Hampshire including the town of Petersfield.
The town councilÕs spokesman on the proposed park, Phill Humphries, was due to give a presentation on the proposals before Mr Hick threw the meeting open to the public to give people a chance to voice their concerns.
Petersfield Town Council has already sent a preliminary letter to the Countryside Agency urging members to include the town in the new park.
But some people have been less enthusiastic about the proposals claiming that areas included inside the park boundary could suffer from escalating house prices.
East Hampshire District councillors have also warned that the planning process could be diverted to the National Park Authority, leaving East Hampshire with little say in the way the district is developed.
Townspeople will have a further chance to arm themselves with information and make their views known when the Countryside AgencyÕs National Park roadshow hits Petersfield on January 9.
It will take place at the Festival Hall between 12-30 and 7-30 pm with CA staff available to answer questions.
The event is one of many roadshows scheduled to take place across the proposed park area throughout January and February.
The CAÕs public consultation period will end on February 28.
Chairman of East Hampshire District Council Peter Rodgers has urged members of the public to express their views by writing to: South Downs National Park - Public Consultation, PO Box 33299, London SW1H OWE.