THERE is still time for people to have their say on a planning blueprint on future proposals for South Downs National Park (SDNP).

A public consultation on the Local Plan runs until Tuesday, November 21, and residents both living inside the park boundaries, and nearby, are being encouraged to have their say. The plan will replace policies from 12 different local authorities – including East Hampshire District Council – with 96 new policies covering the whole of the park from Winchester to Eastbourne.

SDNP chairwoman Margaret Paren said: “The Local Plan puts these landscapes first – they are the reason the South Downs became a national park and they must sit at the heart of every planning decision we make.

“But our communities matter too, many of whom have undertaken their own neighbourhood plans.

“Some need to be able to grow, but this has to be in a way that respects the local environment. The plan also sets out the high standards all proposed development must meet to protect and value nature.’”