National Park responds to calls for more time
More time will be given for people to consider the New Forest National Park Authority’s revised draft National Park Plan when it is published in the autumn.
The publication will now be split into two separate documents – the Management Plan and the so-called Core Strategy or planning policies – to make it easier to understand.
A public meeting will be held in September.
Barrie Foley, interim Chief Executive for the National Park Authority, said: ‘In my first few weeks in the job I have spent a great deal of time listening to a wide range of views about the National Park Plan. In particular I have listened to the concern that seven days is not long enough for people to digest the revised Management Plan.
‘Although this is based on something of a misunderstanding – the seven days actually relates to the standard time that papers are issued in advance of a meeting rather than a consultation period – I agree that it would be helpful to give people longer than a week to read and comment on the revised Management Plan in the light of the intense level of interest there has been. It has always been the case that the Core Strategy and planning polices would be the subject of a further six-week statutory public consultation.
‘The Chairman Clive Chatters promised that we would use our discretion and I have talked to Defra about the timetable for the Management Plan. As a result we intend to give people a full two weeks after the draft Management Plan goes to the Authority in October to read and comment on it, with a final draft informed by those comments going for approval to the Authority in December.’
Mr Foley added: ‘This two-week period is outside the normal processes for a Management Plan and is designed to meet the level of public interest. It is in addition to the week that the draft plan will be in the public domain before the October Authority meeting, giving three weeks in total. It is also in addition to continued meetings with parishes over the coming months and a public meeting we intend to hold in September to share the work in progress on the revised draft.
‘We also intend to split the document into two separate plans as many people have told us that combining two important statutory documents into one is confusing and difficult to read. Taken together, I hope that these changes show our clear commitment to meet people’s concerns and move forward with a good plan for the whole of the Forest and the coastal area within the Park.’
Publication of the Recreation Management Strategy, which goes into more detail on that subject, will follow release of the revised National Park Plan as originally planned.
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Media Contact:
Karen Evans, Communications Officer, New Forest National Park Authority
Tel: 01590 646650
karen.evans@newforestnpa.gov.uk
