THERE is now just a couple of days left to respond to the South Downs National Park Authority’s first ever Local Plan.

People have until Tuesday to submit comments on the draft document which, when adopted, will act as a guide for development in the park.

The authority produced the plan, having hitherto used more than 1,000 policies from 12 different local authorities.

Now, the hope is that a single, all-encompassing document will replace these and provide would-be developers with everything they need to know about the area.

Even at its early stage, the plan has proved controversial locally, with residents in Greatham banding together to respond to possible development in their village.

The National Park Authority has identified a site in Petersfield Road (Liss Forest Nursery) “considered suitable to provide up to 40 residential dwellings” and land at Fern Farm, where four permanent gypsy and traveller sites could be provided. In turn, campaign group Greatham Voice has crowd funded thousands to pay for a planning consultant to help the “small rural community of 800 residents”, as it describes itself, to draw up an objective response.

On Friday, October 27, villagers came together and agreed to shell out a further £2,200 for stage two of their project, which has seen Petersfield consultant Troy Hayes (troyplanning.com) conduct in-depth research into the matter.

He is set to return tomorrow, Friday, with a strategy and final representations to be made to the National Park Authority ahead of Tuesday’s comment deadline.

The general theme of concerns is that the early proposals represent overdevelopment.

And, already, a speculative planning application, to redevelop the highlighted Petersfield Road site, has arrived on the authority’s desk (SDNP/17/05087/PRE).

It suggests three possible scenarios. The first option comprises 39 houses and a care home; the second includes 65 houses/flats and the third proposes 59 houses on the land.

As the application, submitted by Cove Construction Ltd in Aldershot, is at an early stage, there are not many specifics in place - but it may further concern those who felt 40 homes would be too many.

National Park Authority chairman Margaret Paren said it was the authority’s duty to “recognise the national importance of the landscapes” and to “conserve and enhance them”.

“The South Downs Local Plan puts these nationally important 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,” she added.

“But our communities matter too, many of whom have undertaken their own Neighbourhood Plans.

“Some communities need to be able to grow, but this has to be in a way that respects the local environment and the wider National Park.”

Representatives from Greatham Voice said it was “really important that we all get involved” to “make our voices heard”. “It is great to see the village come together as a community,” they added. “Let’s keep up the momentum.”

The residents’ JustGiving page has already generated £1,340.

David Goddard, who donated £50, said: “Not opposed to change, let’s make it the right change for our village.”

Another anonymous donor added: “We must pull together as a village to get the best long-term result for us all, and the future of a desirable village to live in.”

Martin Hoddinott agreed that it was “a good cause to shape the future of the village”, and gave £50.

The Local Plan is at a draft stage, and will guide developments in the National Park when adopted.

* See the full Local Plan at southdowns.gov.uk and people have until Tuesday to offer feedback. To help Greatham Voice, visit justgiving.com/crowdfunding/greatham-voice.