BOOK NOW! – More chances to tell us what you want for YOUR National Park

[Andrew Robert Lee]

Last Friday we posted up the draft Special Qualities of the South Downs National Park and asked what you thought about them. I’m really chuffed that over 170 people have already responded. This really matters because these Special Qualities will be the foundation for everything we do. They’re also very personal of course. In my case, it’s being with my family on top of Harting Down on Saturday afternoon – a warm wind blowing, the Isle of Wight shimmering in the milky early autumn light, and the Red Earth performance about to start.
However, we now need to move on from Special Qualities, to the difficult issues and hard choices that face the National Park in its first Management Plan. That’s where we really need your continuing help.
The next wave of Autumn Workshops, building on the first three, are proving to be increasingly popular. Do book soon to be sure of a place. The second West Sussex event at Arundel on the 10th October is now completely full, and the third in Littlehampton on the 3rd November is nearly full. But there is still capacity at the Hampshire venues (Alresford on the 3rd Oct and Rowlands Castle on the 7th Nov), and at the East Sussex venues (Eastbourne on the 11th Oct and Lewes on the 4th Nov). All the workshops run from 4 pm to 8pm with a buffet supper provided To book now please e-mail [e-mail]. Remember, if the nearest one is full try for another venue, and those who didn’t manage to get to one of the first round are more than welcome to come to a second and/or third round workshop.
The conversations at the first three workshops, and subsequently on this forum, have been very diverse and insightful. Exactly how are we going to encourage access without destroying tranquillity? Encourage new, local, sustainable and connected rural enterprises? Rebuild biodiversity in ways which provides economic benefits to the people and communities involved? Get the most out of our land management so that each hectare can produce many things: food, timber, clean water, carbon storage, protection from flooding? Alongside these broad topics are the specifics – the merits of electric bikes versus the long tradition of horseriding, the meanders on the Cuckmere, the red and white stripes of Beachy Head lighthouse, housing needs in Petersfield, street lighting in Lewes.
You will have strong views on some or all of these – so come and talk to us about them and of course, talk to each other. Start a discussion on the forum or join us at one of the workshops – and tell your friends, family and colleagues.

[Claire Lloyd]

I may come along to one of the East Sussex workshops.

[Anita van Mil - Hopkins Van Mil]

At Hopkins Van Mil we're in the final stages of summarising the findings of the first series of Autumn Workshops. Andrew is right, it's amazing how many ideas have been generated in such short time! Watch this space for the report and full transcripts of the workshops so far, as well as a video of the event in Lewes on 16th September.