CAMPAIGNERS battling to get the western Weald reinstated within the boundary of the proposed South Downs National Park descended on Hove this week. They turned up en masse on the south coast as a pre-inquiry meeting was held to discuss the agenda for the key meeting – with the hope of changing the government inspector's mind when the park boundaries are rubber-stamped. An original inquiry in 2005 ruled out the western Weald from the park boundary, but the inspector said he would accept written representations from anyone who opposed the original decision. He would also hear new evidence when the inquiry re-opens in February. The turnaround comes after Hampshire County Council, the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE), the South Downs Campaign, Natural England and town and parish councils representing areas within the western Weald voiced their opposition to the controversial decision. They were all represented at the meeting, held at Hove Town Hall on Tuesday, backed by individual campaigners as the CPRE laid on buses to Hove to swell the number further. People from Petersfield, Liss, Rogate, Steep and Sheet were among nearly 200 protesters who wielded banners outside the town hall in East Sussex prior to the meeting. The meeting, which lasted more than two hours, saw inspector Robert Parry lay down his schedule for the inquiry, which opens in full on February 12. His schedule included a timetable for assessing inquiry evidence, pointers on how to make a case, and information on site visits. The inquiry is due to last until the beginning of April, a deadline the inspector said he hoped to stick to. East Hampshire CPRE chairman John Venning said: "I think some progress was made in the session. The inspector is now prepared to consider having a session on the Weald. "We were there to ask questions about the way in which the inquiry was to be conducted, and the inspector has now agreed that he will give consideration to whether evidence for the western Weald can be heard. "I think there is now some chance that once the inspector hears the evidence he will agree that the western Weald should be included. "What we are doing now is assembling the evidence we have that says that the western Weald should be included." South Downs Campaign vice-chairman Margaret Paren said: "It was very curious. The inspector said he would allow the evidence on various issues outside the strict remit of what was in the ministerial letter, which included certain issues that we had asked to be discussed. "But he said the decision on whether the western Weald would be allowed in the national park would be based on written evidence. The inspector then said he would make up his mind on the first day of the enquiry to see if he allows discussion. "I think he would find it difficult to not allow discussion, having said he would allow written evidence, as it is inconsistent."
