CAMPAIGNERS are celebrating after succeeding in convincing the Countryside Agency of the need to include both Greatham and the Woolmer Forest within the boundary of the proposed South Downs National Park.

And there was good news for those campaigning for Blackmoor as it has also made it inside the park as a last minute addition.

Last Thursday, the Countryside Agency agreed to recommend to the government that a South Downs National Park is created.

ItÕs board agreed a final boundary, including 60 changes to the draft boundary, which now means that the Woolmer Forest, Greatham and the majority of Blackmoor are all inside the boundary.

It comes after a large campaign to include the areas inside the park.

Greatham has had a roller-coaster ride over the proposals.

In the original plans the village was split with the southern and western half inside the park, and the northern and eastern half left out in the cold.

The village rallied to convince the Countryside Agency that Greatham should not be split by the boundary but was horrified when the agency revised its proposals and excluded the entire village.

But a last-minute campaign in the final round of consultations eventually convinced board members of the need to ensure that the village is in the park.

Greatham parish councillor Anna Dale-Harris said: ÒI am absolutely delighted that we are now in as I think that we never should have been excluded.

ÒI am so glad that they have listened to the case that we put forward.

ÒWe have a high quality landscape that does not impinge on the rest of the area.

ÒI am particularly delighted that Greatham has gotten in on its own merits and not just because it is next to the Woolmer Forest which has also been included.Ó

Greatham district and parish councillor Judy Onslow echoed her sentiments.

ÒI am obviously thrilled at the news and have to thank Anna Dale-Harris for all of the work that she has done to make sure that Greatham is in the park,Ó she said.

ÒThe case that Anna Dale-Harris put forward from the parish council was great and has convinced the Countryside Agency that we should never have been excluded in the first place.Ó

Mrs Onslow also expressed her delight at the news that the Countryside Agency has now included Woolmer Forest within the park.

In the past the agency had expressed the desire to include the forest, just south of Whitehill, within the park but was concerned at the lack of public access as the forest is used daily for training and live-firing exercises by the Army.

But, Countryside Agency spokesman John Rennie told The Herald, board members were eventually convinced that the restricted access to the forest should not hinder its inclusion.

He said: ÒBoard members discussed the inclusion of the Woolmer Forest at length because they had doubts over its inclusion over of the lack of public access, but eventually they decided that it should be included.Ó

There was also good news for campaigners in Blackmoor.

Previously the village was split by the boundary with only the core and land in the south within the park. But now the agency board has accepted the case for the inclusion of Cranmer Pond and land between Sotherington Lane and Honey Lane. This means that the land to the east and west of the village is now within the proposed park.

But those hoping for the inclusion of other local areas such as Liphook, Oakhanger, Passfield Common, Bramshott Common and Ludshott Common were disappointed to learn that their efforts have not paid off.

East Hampshire District CouncilÕs cabinet spokesperson on the environment and countryside, Patrick Burridge, expressed disappointment at the news that the cases for extra areas was not listened to.

But he added that there were also other concerns.

He said: ÒOn the administrative arrangements east Hampshire has been doing its best to ensure that planning decisions that affect local people, continue to be made by their locally elected councillors. However it is still unclear how representative the new national park authority will be, and whether or not planning decisions will be delegated to local areas.Ó

The Countryside Agency will publish the South Downs National Park designation order in January 2003.

This will allow one month for representations to be sent to the government before the secretary of state makes the final decision over whether to confirm the order.

Ewen Cameron, chairman of the Countryside Agency, said that the decision to go ahead with the decision to go ahead with the South Downs National Park proposals was Òan important decision for the South DownsÓ.

ÒMany people have worked with us during the past three years to find the best ways of conserving and caring for the South Downs,Ó he said.

ÒWe are aware, however, that a number of local authorities have already indicated that they will oppose the designation.

ÒIf this is the case there will be a public inquiry before the secretary of state makes the final decision to confirm the park.

ÒWe are confident that the decisions that we have made are right and we will defend them if necessary.Ó