Seeking your views on the landscape

The New Forest is one of the most beautiful places in Britain.

The New Forest National Park Authority is working with its partners to conserve and enhance the landscape in the National Park.

We are producing a draft Landscape Strategy will set out the strategic direction for the conservation and enhancement of the landscape of the New Forest National Park over the next 20 years. It will be a daughter document to the first National Park Management Plan 2010 - 2015 for the New Forest.

The New Forest’s landscape is unique; it is a ‘living’ and working remnant of medieval England with an overwhelming sense of continuity, tradition and history. It is this landscape combined with its rich biodiversity and cultural heritage that gives the New Forest its remarkable sense of place.

The conservation and enhancement of the landscape of the New Forest is given further impetus by the European Landscape Convention (ELC). The ELC was signed by the UK Government on 24 February 2006, was ratified on the 21 November 2006, and became binding on 1 March 2007. The ELC is the first international convention to focus specifically on landscape, and is dedicated exclusively to the protection, management and planning of all landscapes in Europe.

Who is this landscape strategy for?

The draft Landscape Strategy is for everyone whose activities affect the landscape of the New Forest and has been developed with key organisations such as the National Park Authority and the Forestry Commission.

This draft Strategy is also for individual householders, and those authorities and agencies that operate beyond the National Park boundaries, whose activities can affect the quality of the landscape within the National Park. This especially relates to conserving the tranquillity of the National Park, which is significantly affected by activities beyond the National Park boundary.

It is important that we seek the views of the New Forest community at this early stage in preparing the draft landscape strategy. We have organised a series of 5 road shows around the forest to consult with as many people as possible

The road shows will be an opportunity for people to see displays and supporting information and meet officers. As well as meeting people at the events we are inviting feedback by way of a questionnaire and written responses at the events. Further, more formal consultation on a full draft version of the plan will occur once New Forest National Park Authority members and partner organisations have agreed a consultation draft text.

The road shows will take place at the following locations;

Wednesday 2nd June at Hyde Memorial Hall, Frogham, Fordingbridge.
Friday 4th June at the Masonic Hall, Lymington High Street, Lymington.
Wednesday 16th June at the Beech Room, Lyndhurst Community Centre, Lyndhurst.
Friday 18th June in the Oak Room, Village Hall, Vicarage Road, Marchwood.
Thursday July 1st at Landford Village Hall, Lyndhurst Road, Landford.

All roadshows will be open from 2.00pm to 8.00pm.

Please let us have your views

The Landscape Strategy is only at an early stage and your views can help us decide what we should include in the plan and identifying which organisations we should ask to help us. The questionnaire will help to guide us but we would be pleased to receive any other feedback and would welcome your involvement. The questionnaire can either be returned anonymously or if you would like to be involved in the process and have chance to input further please email landscape@newforestnpa.gov.uk giving your name, address, telephone number and areas of interest.

To complete the questionnaire on line

Questionannaire