THE South Downs Campaign (SDC) has welcomed the new year, hoping that 2008 will bring concrete assurances from the government regarding the western Weald's inclusion in the proposed national park. The body is lobbying for both a U-turn from government inspector Robert Parry, who currently proposes that the western Weald, Ditchling, Lewes should be left out of the national park, and also that the South Downs is granted national park status. Beginning the year with its largest membership, with more than 125 organisations – a 50 per cent increase since it first appeared at the start of the South Downs National Park inquiry in November 2003 – the SDC calls upon strong support for the national park. Robin Crane, chairman of the South Downs Campaign, said: "We are extremely fortunate to have such an able and enthusiastic team of volunteers and professionals working for the South Downs Campaign. "They are all going to have a busy year with the reopened public inquiry. However, we remain optimistic that our collective efforts will prevail and that the government will make a positive decision about the South Downs before the end of 2008." The next few months promise to be a busy time, with SDC members first preparing and then appearing, at the forthcoming reopened inquiry in Worthing, West Sussex, on on February 12. In order to increase political pressure on the government and to persuade it to include the western Weald in the national park, the SDC is urging people to make a New Year's resolution to sign the SDC's online petition at http://www.petitions.pm.gov.uk/western-weald">www.petitions.pm.gov.uk/western-weald.
