On Friday 1 April 2011 the final piece of the South Downs National Park jigsaw was completed, when the National Park Authority officially came into being. As well as sending a warm welcome to this newest member of the National Parks family, I want to salute the campaign that secured National Park status for this very special area.
The South Downs was an early contender for National Park status as it was recommended for designation by the 1947 Hobhouse Report. But its case suffered because of the extent to which its downland had been ploughed up during the Second World War. The campaign for National Park status lay dormant for many years but was reignited in 1990 when a group of environmental organisations formed the South Downs Campaign. The Campaign was to be influential in many of the key decisions that led to the eventual confirmation of the National Park, but it also became a proxy for the growing and overwhelming public support for the South Downs National Park, as organisations large and small swelled its ranks.
Arable farmland is a very common sight across the South Downs
I got involved in the Campaign in the late 1990s and we soon scored a major campaigning success when the then Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott MP said at the Labour Party conference in 1999 that Labour wanted to see National Parks in the New Forest and the South Downs. That was the start of the campaign in earnest and two public inquiries, countless press releases, many publicity-raising walks and endless planning meetings later, the National Park was eventually confirmed by the Secretary of State Hilary Benn MP in November 2009.
The Campaign was defined by and ultimately successful because of the selfless commitment and endless enthusiasm of its members, most of whom were volunteers. Even when faced with much better funded opposition, such as that from West Sussex County Council, the Campaign remained optimistic and members dug into their own pockets to keep up the momentum.
The launch of the National Park is a living testament to the colossal efforts of everyone who played a part in the Campaign over the years – we spent many late nights plotting campaigns and writing letters to newspaper editors, but knowing that we have helped to secure a National Park for the nation makes every ounce of hard work worth it. For me, it is also powerful evidence of the difference that people can make when they are united by a common objective. As Margaret Mead, the American anthropologist once said:
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has”.
Of course, this is not the end of the story of the South Downs National Park; it is just the beginning. Those entrusted with the management and care of the National Park will face many challenges in the years ahead. But they should know that they can count on the support of the many civil society organisations who co-operated to form the Campaign and that they have the public well and truly behind them.
Welcome South Downs National Park Authority, and rest assured us campaigners will be waiting in the wings should you ever need us.
Gazing across the Western Weald, South Downs National Park
Tags: campaigning, National Parks, South Downs National Park
