In a recent letter to the Countryside Agency, press officer Tom Arnott points out that, having attended presentations at both Greatham and Petersfield, the society is firmly convinced that the future of Alton and its environment would be best served by being within the boundaries of the park and not on the outside.
Further discussions with the East Hants branch of the Council for the Protection of Rural England (CPRE) have served to cement the view that the existing boundary of East Hampshire District Council should be used as the guideline for the western limit of the park.
This would mean that the northern limit of the suggested area of search which embraces Alice Holt Forest, south of Farnham, could be used as the jumping off point and the boundary would then cross the A31 at Surrey/Hampshire county line before turning south and west to include the village of Bentley and Froyle, passing the Golden Pot to include Lasham and touching the A339 near Avenue Farm.
There would then be a choice of routes south to re-cross the A31 at its junction with the A32 from where it would be possible to proceed southwards along the A32 to meet the existing East Hampshire AONB boundary at Farringdon.
This would mean that the western boundary would include the town of Alton together with the communities of Bentley, Binsted, Froyle, Lasham, Shalden, East and West Worldham and Chawton.
This suggested enlargement of the proposed park would, it was felt, meet parkland criteria which takes into account the natural beauty of the area and the opportunities for open-air recreation.
Not only, says the Alton Society, is this an area rich in history, but it embraces superb farming country, some of which has been recorded in the Domesday Book and which has had a long history intertwined with the brewing industry.
The opportunities for open-air recreation would be numerous and could include walking, riding, cycling, angling, gliding, hot air ballooning, steam trains on the Watercress Line, and boating and canoeing on the Basingstoke Canal.
"It is a quiet, tranquil area with very long views across wide panoramas. The built environment contains Alton itself, still a largely unspoilt, small country town and much less developed than Lewes or Petersfield," said Mr Arnott.
In putting forward the proposal the Alton Society believes that Alton itself would make "a natural gateway" to the western part of the South Downs National Park.
"It is a charming, small, ancient, market town with a full range of amenities for visitors including hotels, pubs, guest-houses and with excellent communications by road and rail for an abundance of open-air recreational experiences," points out Mr Arnott, adding that Alton is surrounded by "wonderful countryside fully up to AONB or national park criteria".
The Alton Society's proposal is due to be discussed by Alton Town Council's planning and transportation committee at their meeting this Wednesday (June 27), starting at 6-15 pm at the town hall.