Information<strong>South</strong> <strong>Downs</strong> <strong>National</strong><strong>Park</strong> <strong>Authority</strong>Photo competition: Can you captureLife in our Landscapes?The <strong>South</strong> <strong>Downs</strong> <strong>National</strong> <strong>Park</strong> uniquely combines a biodiverselandscapes with bustling towns and villages, covers an area of over1,600 km 2 , is home to more than 110,400 people and is Britain’snewest national park.The <strong>South</strong> <strong>Downs</strong> <strong>National</strong> <strong>Park</strong> <strong>Authority</strong> (SDNPA) is theorganisation responsible for promoting the purposes of the <strong>National</strong><strong>Park</strong> and the interests of the people who live and work within it.Our purposes are:1. To conserve and enhance the natural beauty, wildlife and culturalheritage of the area.2. To promote opportunities for the understanding and enjoyment ofthe special qualities of the <strong>Park</strong> by the public.Our duty is to work in partnership to seek to foster the economicand social well-being of the local communities within the <strong>National</strong><strong>Park</strong>.You can contact the <strong>South</strong> <strong>Downs</strong> <strong>National</strong> <strong>Park</strong> <strong>Authority</strong> at:Rosemary’s Parlour, North Street, Midhurst, West Sussex GU29 9SBTel: 0300 303 1053Email: info@southdowns.gov.ukwww.southdowns.gov.ukLast year’s winning photo of the Cuckmere by Chris MoleWINThis year we’re challenging you to capturean image showing how people work, live inand enjoy the <strong>South</strong> <strong>Downs</strong> <strong>National</strong> <strong>Park</strong>.Whether you want to tellza story, highlightthe challenges created when people andnature come together or simply focus onpeople enjoying the scenery, we want to seeyour best photos.Over the centuries farmers haveshaped and cared for our landscapes,bustling market towns have influenced ourarchitecture and today paragliders drifteffortlessly above us. The <strong>National</strong> <strong>Park</strong> is famous for its beautiful landscapes£150 and other fantasticprizes and your image willfeature in the next issue of<strong>South</strong> <strong>Downs</strong> <strong>View</strong>and is home to around 110,000 people with millions more visiting and enjoyingit every year. We want to see your best shots of when people and landscapecome together.If your photo is chosen by our panel, you will win £150 in vouchers tospend at Petersfield Photographic, a year’s subscription to Outdoor Photographymagazine, a day of landscape photography training with photographer SimonParsons and your image will feature in the next issue of <strong>South</strong> <strong>Downs</strong> <strong>View</strong>.The deadline is 15 October 2012. How to enter, as well as terms andconditions, can be found at www.southdowns.gov.uk/photocomp20122south downs <strong>View</strong>www.southdowns.gov.uk
WelcomeWelcome to thissecond newsletterfrom the <strong>South</strong><strong>Downs</strong> <strong>National</strong> <strong>Park</strong><strong>Authority</strong>Since we became operationaljust over a year ago we andour partners have been verybusy improving the <strong>South</strong><strong>Downs</strong> <strong>National</strong> <strong>Park</strong>. Itis early days yet but thisnewsletter gives you a flavourof what is being achieved andwhat is planned.15 July marks the 40th anniversaryof the <strong>South</strong> <strong>Downs</strong> Way. The creationof this iconic <strong>National</strong> Trail was asign of things to come and today itforms the spine of the <strong>South</strong> <strong>Downs</strong><strong>National</strong> <strong>Park</strong>, running all the wayfrom Winchester to Eastbourne. Youcan read more about the anniversaryof the <strong>South</strong> <strong>Downs</strong> Way on page 17.On pages 4–5 you can read allabout our exciting new <strong>South</strong> <strong>Downs</strong>Way Ahead project. Again using the<strong>South</strong> <strong>Downs</strong> Way as its spine, theproject is one of 12 trailblazing NatureImprovement Areas (NIAs). Led bythe <strong>National</strong> <strong>Park</strong> <strong>Authority</strong>, this £3million project has received a grantof £608,000 in Government fundingand brings together 29 partners fromacross the <strong>South</strong> <strong>Downs</strong> <strong>National</strong><strong>Park</strong> (including the <strong>Authority</strong>) andbeyond to restore and protect rarechalk downland.Such partnership working is atthe heart of how the <strong>South</strong> <strong>Downs</strong><strong>National</strong> <strong>Park</strong> <strong>Authority</strong> works andis integral to the <strong>National</strong> <strong>Park</strong>’ssustainable future.We have also worked with partnersand stakeholders from across the<strong>South</strong> <strong>Downs</strong> and beyond to developthe special qualities of the <strong>National</strong><strong>Park</strong>, a State of the <strong>Park</strong> report and a30-year vision for the <strong>National</strong> <strong>Park</strong>.This vision will guide us as we developour strategic Management Plan and ourfirst Core Planning Strategy.We hope you will join us in becomingactively involved and, above all, caringfor this unique and wonderful place. Inthe following pages you will find lotsof opportunities for getting involvedand having fun. Our online Forumis also a great place to stay in touchwith debates and have your say aboutthe multitude of issues affecting the<strong>National</strong> <strong>Park</strong> http://southdownsforum.ning.com/main.Margaret ParenChair of <strong>South</strong> <strong>Downs</strong> <strong>National</strong> <strong>Park</strong><strong>Authority</strong>This is the first edition of<strong>South</strong> <strong>Downs</strong> <strong>View</strong> to beproduced since I became ChiefExecutive of the <strong>National</strong> <strong>Park</strong><strong>Authority</strong> in January. I think itcaptures the breadth of ourwork and our wide range ofpartners – led by the localauthorities and parishes – whowork with us to conserve,enhance and celebrate ourvery special <strong>National</strong> <strong>Park</strong>.There are many examples of theseactive partnerships in the pages whichfollow, such as the Our <strong>South</strong> <strong>Downs</strong>project, which works with 738 localschools to encourage children tomap and explore the world on theirdoorstep, and the launch of the southeast’s first electric bicycle network.The <strong>Authority</strong> has also joined thepartnership bidding to UNESCO forinternational recognition for parts ofthe <strong>National</strong> <strong>Park</strong> surrounding Brightonand Hove and Lewes, including the cityof Brighton and Hove itself.A distinctive feature of our <strong>National</strong><strong>Park</strong> is the central importance of itsdedicated volunteers. There are manydescriptions of their work in thisedition, such as the shepherd’s caravanthat has been restored through sixmonths hard work by a team of some20 volunteers. The caravan, which wasthe centre of attention on our standat the rain sodden <strong>South</strong> of EnglandShow, is an imaginative project thatneatly symbolises the rich social andagricultural history of the <strong>South</strong> <strong>Downs</strong>.One of the great things about my jobis the chance to see at first hand thepositive impact that the <strong>National</strong> <strong>Park</strong> ishaving on the landscape and wildlife ofCOLLABOR8COLLABOR8, an EU (Interreg IVb)funded project, has contributed tothe production of this newspaper.The funding, which runs until 2012,supports local businesses to developthe <strong>South</strong> <strong>Downs</strong>. For instance, I spentan enjoyable afternoon in late Maytracking down the rare Pearl-borderedFritillary in an area of coppicingnewly established by our rangers andthe landowner. It was ideal butterflyweather and their bright orange wingsand swooping flight made them easyto spot. We counted 17 in a singlewalk across the site, which is a goodsign for the future.This strengthening of local butterflypopulations encapsulates the missionof the <strong>National</strong> <strong>Park</strong> <strong>Authority</strong> –carefully targeted work in line withnature and in association with localauthorities, land managers, partnersand volunteers that generates ameasurable improvement in thelandscape and its wildlife. You can reada lot more about this in the pageswhich follow.Trevor BeattieChief Executiveinnovative sustainable visitor productsand services across the <strong>South</strong> <strong>Downs</strong>.Now that the <strong>South</strong> <strong>Downs</strong> is a<strong>National</strong> <strong>Park</strong>, it is vital that businessesare ready to embrace opportunities -but as a sustainable visitor destination,benefiting the communities, businessesand environment alike. Featuresthroughout the newspaper illustratehow this can be achieved. To find outmore visit www.southdowns.gov.uk/collabor8.www.southdowns.gov.uk south downs <strong>View</strong> 3
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