General Election 2010
In the winter 2010 issue of our member magazine, The Downsman, we interviewed Nick Herbert, Conservative MP for Arundel and South Downs and Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs. Now, in April 2010, with the General Election just weeks away, candidates from across the South Downs tell us what they and their parties think about issues affecting the South Downs National Park.
We put a range of questions to forty candidates standing in the thirteen constituencies that include the National Park within their boundaries. Their answers are given below in alphabetical order of constituency.
Constituency: Arundel & South Downs
Derek Deedman (Liberal Democrat)
Do the South Downs matter to you? Yes, they represent a green ‘lung’ to the coastal urban area and contain many outstanding areas of natural beauty, wildlife and cultural heritage. These need to be conserved and promoted for this and future generations to use and enjoy.
Opportunities and challenges for the South Downs To promote public understanding and enjoyment of these special qualities, and at the same time fostering the social and economic wellbeing of the local economy. There will be a need to ensure the farming community is not excluded, whilst increasing the sustainable accessability of the South Downs to the general public. Another challenge will be from developers, both for within the Park and in the small towns and villages just outside the Park which will be seen as gateways to the new National Park. For these reasons it will be vital for the Park Authority to maintain close control over local and strategic planning for the area and not to delegate these functions to the county and district councils.
Additional housing The Liberal Democrat’s policy is to prioritise brownfield sites for development and return planning decisions to local control, abolishing the Infrastructure Planning Commission and regional housing targets. Environmental capacity will be used as the key guidance for identifying sites for development in the planning system, but ultimately it is best to hand the power back to local authorities who know how many and where new homes are needed. In the South Downs I believe this power should be exercised by a directly elected National Park Authority.
New/expanded roads I consider that a proper A27 bypass for Arundel should be completed to enhance the local economy of West Sussex and help protect the environment of the South Downs from ‘rat-running’. I see no need for any other new roads or the expansion of existing ones in or close to the National Park
Quarrying Whilst I would like to say, no, there is no place for quarrying in the South Downs National Park, it may be that some minerals are only able to be quarried in the National Park. The Park Authority will have to establish a Minerals & Waste Development Framework to agree the criteria for such sites. Clearly it should avoid preparing a joint Framework with the surrounding County Authorities which will be more than happy to have these sites away from the urban areas.
Renewable energy and energy conservation We must move away from dirty fuels and harness the potential of the environment. However, this must happen in a sympathetic way so as to not disrupt the beauty and cultural significance of the South Downs, Sites of Specific Scientific Interest and areas of particular importance or value to communities. There is considerable scope for government action to reduce energy consumption both by individual households and businesses.
New high-voltage electricity lines It would be acceptable for new high-voltage electricity lines to be carried through the National Park lnly if power lines are built under ground, using the ‘mole’ method.
Message for farmers Farming is an important part of Britain’s economy, and we will build on that strength to ensure that farmers are able to earn a living wage and also helped to protect our natural environment and heritage. The Liberal Democrats will re-organise the way in which Single Farm Payments are delivered to farmers. By simplifying the application process and raising the minimum threshold to £300 we will re-target CAP payments to family farmers and speed up the system for everyone. The money freed up by this reform would then be used to provide extra support for hill farmers, cheap loans to help farmers invest in environmentally friendly biogas digesters and a new Farming Apprenticeship scheme.
Sustainable transport Tourism plays an important economic role in Britain today and Liberal Democrats want to support the industry by investing in sustainable public transport. We believe that a fast and reliable rail network is needed to provide people with a real alternative to domestic flights. We would build a new north-south high speed rail line to the best European standards which will replace much internal aviation and cut one of the fastest growing sources of carbon. We also want to invest local rail improvements. Both these investments would be paid for by redirecting money out of the major roads budget and into our existing rail network. Within the area around and in the new National Park I want to see an improved rural public transport network, linking the small towns and villages with the major towns such as Brighton, Crawley, and Portsmouth. In addition there needs to be a big increase in new cycle and equestrian routes. There should be better sustainable links to the South Downs Way and the Downs Link. The provision of new car parks should be discouraged.
Rights of way management Yes, I think the NPA should maintain its rights of way and countryside sites. It is appalling that for political reasons the delegation of this joint working to the existing Joint Committee will not continue with the new National Park. There may be a case for administrative support services such as legal, financial, IT work to be carried out jointly for a number of bodies such as the county and district councils and PCT. A full investigation should be carried out with all authorities involved to decide the best way forward. These functions should not be delegated to the county councils/Brighton & Hove.
Broadband We want to launch a review of broadband coverage and quality in remote areas, making connectivity a regulatory requirement. We will also review the minimum speed of broadband connection speed as technology improves. Again any new cables/lines must be provided underground.
National Park funding We want to be honest with the British public and will not commit to ring-fencing any budgets in the next Parliament. However, we believe that the current economic climate makes it more important than ever for National Park funding to be spent in an effective and efficient manner. There is, therefore, no guarantee that national park funding will be protected. However we are committed to giving people who live in National Parks the opportunity to decide how this money is spent by introducing partial direct elections. (using a fair voting system)
Nick Herbert (Conservative)
Do the South Downs matter to you? I feel incredibly lucky to live in this area and to represent it. I share the enthusiasm for the Downs that the members of the South Downs Society feel. The place I tend to get up to most is Arundel Park. I can walk from my house in Arundel. The place I absolutely love there is at Peppering. It gives you that splendid view out across Arundel Castle, over the plain and then the sea. The views in all four directions are absolutely stunning, unbroken and unspoilt.
Opportunities and challenges for the South Downs It is important all governments remain committed to the National Parks and to protecting them. They are the crown jewels of our landscape and have a very important part to play in terms of public enjoyment of the countryside and bridging the divide between country and town. As a National Park that is in relatively close proximity to London and to other highly-populated areas, the South Downs provides a huge opportunity for enjoyment of the countryside. A special challenge relates to its size. I have written in the County Times about my visit with David Cameron to Cumbria to visit the areas affected by flooding. The Lake District was the biggest National Park with a population of 42,000. We have 120,000 people and it will have to be handled differently. Perhaps the most important thing is to make sure local communities are included. That will mean being careful about the arrangements for accountability and consultation. Much of what I see locally that is successful is about partnership and voluntary effort. We have such strong cohesive communities here and I think that engaging the energy and enthusiasm of local communities will be a very important part of ensuring the Park's success
Additional housing The pressure on housing is one of the biggest issues I have had to deal with. In West Sussex, 73,000 additional houses are planned in response to the government's housing targets. I believe this is completely unsustainable. It would nominally increase the pop of the county by a quarter. At least a third of that housing would have to be built on greenfield land. It would ruin the countryside. We have seen two new towns being proposed in my constituency. We have seen off one and I hope soon to see off the other. We don't have the infrastructure, the local services, and above of all would be the huge loss of countryside. We have said we will scrap the top down housing target, and the regional spatial strategies, and instead give local communities the power to make planning decisions. Of course we do need more affordable housing. I have young people who are driven out of the constituency because they cannot get their foot on the housing ladder. This changes the character of the rural areas and villages start becoming dormitories. I think we can provide that at a sensible level if the decision is taken by the local village, done on a sustainable basis, and if the housing can be kept for local housing and not sold off. On second homes: I don't think it is appropriate to have laws bossing people around. We live in a free country if you want a second home you should be allowed to have one. I don't think MPs are in a position to lecture people about second homes! We have them because it's necessary for our jobs. The balancing act for all National Parks is not to stifle rural enterprise and yet to protect the landscape. We want the Park to be somewhere that is living and vibrant not ossified or a kind of theme park. The attraction of the Downs is that they are farmed, natural, working places and we need to preserve that character.
New/expanded roads Some form of upgrade is certainly needed with regard to Worthing but a bypass is problematic due to the Downs, and a tunnel would be hugely expensive. Towns along the south coast are suffering due to a lack of efficient roads. The A27 is not a coastal highway it’s a coastal car park. My priority is the Arundel bypass for which there is general agreement. A new route to the south of Arundel has already been proposed although worryingly the Highways Agency is now looking for a cheaper option using existing roads as well as building some new ones. Using existing roads would carve into Arundel and would be very disruptive and noisy and not what the local community wants. My proposal is to build a fantastic bridge over the Arun which would enhance the area and become a landmark. A fine new bridge with the beautiful old cathedral in the background would be an incredible sight and would get people talking.
Renewable energy and energy conservation There may be the opportunity for micro schemes for renewable energy in National Parks. I think it would be a good thing for National Parks to help in the sustainability agenda. They are our showcases for the environment. But what I do not want to see is the desecration of high quality landscapes through wind turbines. I think there is always a case for local decision making but I can't imagine that local people would want to see turbines suddenly spring up. There is always a challenge here because we do need more renewable energy. I think there are other forms of it that are more promising, less controversial and less environmentally damaging, such as off-shore wind, and energy from waste, including farm waste through such things as anaerobic digestion.
Message for farmers The first message which I hope they will receive from everyone is one of reassurance that they are not going to be overridden and that they are the most important people when it comes to ensuring we have a protected landscape. They have a hugely positive role to play and we must listen to their concerns. If they were to talk to colleagues in other parks they would see there are huge opportunities of being in a park. We should be looking to help them and other local businesses maximise those opportunities.
Sustainable transport There is a big opportunity with rail because we have lines reaching into the Downs and then running along the coast so we will have lots of entry points to the Downs and marketing opportunities. We need to improve that rail service and we need to promote the stations as gateways to the park. We want to look at innovative on-demand bus schemes which operate successfully in the continent and show it can be done. We have tried dial-a-bus in the past but we must put new emphasis on this. It doesn't make sense to have big, polluting, empty buses running around. At the end of the day, however, we are going to be relying on cars. I could not work as the MP for Arundel and South Downs without a car. We have to recognise that in a rural area like this you can't abolish car use, so continuing with energy efficiency and improvement measures will be very important. We will have to be very careful about things like unsightly car parks or visitor centres or other things which change the nature of the Downs. I don't want to find myself having to jump up and down about that in a few years' time.
Broadband The provision of broadband at the moment is inadequate. I have people in my constituency who don't just suffer from slow broadband speed, they can't get it at all. In a debate in the House of Commons I cited the case of a farmer near Poynings who was trying to convert barns for sensible business use but he was having to make special provision for broadband which would have cost a fortune. That is very damaging to rural employment. The digital divide is going to get much worse when we have high-speed broadband rolled out to about 70% of the country, meaning rural areas will lose out badly. I think that rural regeneration and prosperity depend on being connected. I am talking to Jeremy Hunt, who is the shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport and we are determined to come up with solutions. There are issues about the very large capital cost of rolling out high speed broadband to the whole country. We need to look at innovative community-led solutions involving the farming community such those at Alston Moor in Cumbria. We need to look at the competition aspects and British Telecom's monopoly. The price tag for one big bang solution is too great given the state of the public finances so government will be in the role of facilitator.
National Park funding We are strongly supportive of National Parks and I and my front bench colleagues have signed the cross-party motion in the House of Commons which celebrates the 60th anniversary of the creation of the Parks and recognises the value of National Parks. Having said that everyone knows that the public finances are in an appalling state, and the only budgets we have ringfenced are health and overseas development. But we will be very mindful, if we form the next government, that we are talking about the top 10% of Britain's landscape. Everybody will have to make savings and deliver value for money, and that is a message which is going to be given to everyone.
Constituency: Brighton Kemptown
Simon Burgess (Labour)
Do the South Downs matter to you? Very much, I use them regularly and I want others to enjoy their beauty.
Opportunities and challenges for the South Downs The National Park is an incredible opportunity to protect and enhance the Downs. I am concerned that some councils are still putting the Downs protection second to short term interests.
Additional housing I am only in favour of additional housing on brown field sites.
New/expanded roads No, I don’t see a need for new or expanded roads. Hard to imagine a scenario when I would feel differently at all.
Quarrying No, other than possibly at some sort of subsistence level if it exists in such a form.
Renewable energy and energy conservation Community renewable energy schemes should be encouraged, for instance those that make use of waste products such as wood chips. Pro-active energy conservation schemes are vital.
Would it be acceptable to for new high-voltage electricity lines to be carried through the National Park? I would only consider that below ground and if the power is coming from renewable sources.
Message for farmers To encourage sustainable food production with local breeds and opportunities to sell local produce locally without the ‘middle man’.
What measures would you like to see to encourage more people to come to and travel around the National Park by sustainable transport? Improved bus and rail services, including those that carry bicycles. Better signed and more accessible cycle and pedestrian routes.
Rights of way management Yes to both, I am very concerned at the attempts of one or more councils to hold this for themselves.
Broadband It is important to reduce social exclusion and commuting. Using existing telegraph cable routes both above and below ground. Not new masts or above ground routes.
National Park funding Yes, I will fight hard for it to be increased. National Parks are vital for our well being.
Constituency: Brighton Pavilion
Caroline Lucas (Green Party)
Opportunities and challenges for the South Downs Restoration of land taken into marginal arable farming since WW2. Opening wider access to growing recreational needs, whilst maintaining and enhancing environment.
Additional housing Personally I’m opposed to this as the semi wildness experience is a precious one that is especially important given the huge populations living in proximity to the downs.
New/expanded roads No, I would resist new or expanded roads within or nearby the park. Rather have, sustainable access to and within the park and sustainable transport within the region.
Quarrying No new permissions should be let, The Blue Circle site a Upper Beeding shows the impact of quarrying.
Renewable energy and energy conservation The granted application for a wind turbine at Glynde was heavily opposed as inappropriate. Agan I think the SDNP needs to be protected and renewables developed elsewhere. Cite the off-shore farm as a good example.
New high-voltage electricity lines No new lines should be carried through the Park. They need to be tunneled. There are many already up that need to come down.
Message for farmers Public use of the landscape must be a high priority along with appropriate farming that respects the unique landscape and flora and fauna.
Sustainable transport I oppose park and ride and think a major gateway centre need s to be developed in Brighton and Hove city centre, which is a public transport hub and can be used to support and encourage sustainable on-travel into the park. Pedestrian and cycle access to the park from conurbations and public transport links need to be enhanced. This needs to link with enhancement of the in park rights of way. This should be funded through the Local Transport Plan.
Rights of way management I think the rights of way probably need to stay with the local highways authorities otherwise there will be a disconnect with the access to the park.
Broadband Sounds a good idea to help the local economy, promote home working and reduce need to travel.
National Park funding Protected and enhanced I would hope!
Nancy Platts (Labour)Nancy is a member of the South Downs Society and campaigned for the South Downs to be designated as a National Park including working with the Society to distribute of thousands of campaign postcards across Brighton. As a sign of how important she feels this is, Nancy reported the success of this campaign on the front page of her newsletter which was delivered to 35,000 homes across the Brighton Pavilion constituency.
Constituency: Chichester
Simon Holland (Labour)
Do the South Downs matter to you? They are an important AONB in the south and UK, an area that should be protected
Opportunities and challenges for the South Downs Stopping the Conservative party meddling in the National Park status and it’s rules
Additional housing Building on greenbelt should always be a last resort
Is there a need for new/expanded roads? No major roads
Is there a place for quarrying? No
Renewable energy and energy conservation Not in favour of wind turbines in SDNP
New high-voltage electricity lines? Only if it is done after a independent impact assessment that ok’s it
Message for farmers We will support them within SDNP rules
Sustainable transport We have free bus passes already, so integrating that with the bus companies, so older people without cars can visit
Rights of way management NPA should have control
Broadband Technology moves so fast it is hard to say as options now will be old hat in two years time
National Park funding I will fight every step of the way to make sure they are
Constituency: East Hampshire
Damian Hinds (Conservative)
Do the South Downs matter to you? Yes, the South Downs do matter to me and make up much of my constituency!
Additional housing The Conservative Party’s intention is to do away with regional targets and allow local communities to agree their own.
Quarrying The National Park is not set in stone and must be allowed to evolve, meaning that there may on occasion be developments that should be allowed in the Park if that's the best place.
Renewable energy and energy conservation Good in principle but the landscape and other implications need to be considered carefully.
Message for farmers We’re on your side.
What do you think about the provision of broadband to rural communities and how could it be speeded up without harming the landscape? Good idea. Broadband should be combined with existing telecomms and other infrastructure to try to minimise the landscape implications.
National Park funding No party is going to be foolish enough to guarantee that National Park funding will be protected in the future.
Constituency: Eastbourne
Stephen Lloyd (Liberal Democrat)
Do the South Downs matter to you? The South Downs are a wonderful area of outstanding beauty to the Nation. Eastbourne constituency borders onto the South Downs so maintaining its integrity is also vital to our Town's tourist economy
Opportunities and challenges for the South Downs The biggest opportunity is that a growing number of visitors will avail themselves of the facilities provided by Eastbourne. The greatest challenge will be to maintain its environmental uniqueness. Other areas around the UK such as the Lake District show that if it is managed properly this can be done.
Additional housing The Liberal Democrats start off on the basic principle that greenfield sites must be protected. New housing should as a priority be built on brownfield sites and more effort must be made by government to bring back on to the market empty homes. This can be done through subsidy where necessary.
New/expanded roads I retain an open mind about duelling the A27 into Eastbourne.
Is there a place for quarrying in the National Park? Not without very good reason. I would need to be persuaded and as yet, am not.
Renewable energy and energy conservation We are an island. More efforts should be made by government to make off-shore wind farms economical. Conserving energy is something the UK still lags far behind on compared to a number of our EU neighbours. This is where our government should be far more supportive and proactive
New high-voltage electricity lines? Only if underground
Message for farmers That they can trust the Liberal Democrats to support local farmers but that our priority will be to keep this landscape in its unspoilt state.
Sustainable transport I would like to see much more joined-up thinking with rail and bus services to provide a low carbon link for visitors to the South Downs
Rights of way management I would favour the National Park Authority leading on these functions.
Broadband Increasing broadband facilities to rural communities is very important to ensure an equalisation of access. Again, I would favour, where necessary, underground cable to lessen the environmental impact.
National Park funding Yes.
Nigel Waterson (Conservative)
Do the South Downs matter to you? The South Downs are an area of wonderful natural beauty and I enjoy walking on them when I have the time.
Opportunities and challenges for the South Downs I think the National Park will bring with it many challenges. If (as was argued by those in favour of it) it means attracting more visitors to the area, then we need to ensure that that pressure in itself does not harm the South Downs. By this I mean pressure for more car parks, roads etc.
Additional housing The Conservatives policy on additional housing in the South East is that there should not be "top down" targets set by national Government. These decisions should be returned to local Councils and local communities.
New/expanded roads I have already made a point about new roads in the National Park itself. I remain in favour of improvements to the A27.
Is there a place for quarrying in the National Park? No.
Renewable energy and energy conservation The problem with renewable energy is that everyone is in favour of it, but when it comes to the practicalities, many environmental groups line up against it. A perfect example is the application to place one wind turbine at Glyndebourne. My preference is for wind farms for example to be sited offshore.
New high-voltage electricity lines in the National Park? Not unless they were buried under ground.
Sustainable transport I have stated above that this is a real challenge. I am all in favour of sustainable transport.
Rights of way management I am happy for these functions to remain with the Councils.
Broadband It is crucial to improve broadband access for rural communities.
National Park funding We have already made clear the areas of public expenditure that would be protected (e.g. the NHS and overseas aid). We have made no such statement about spending on the National Parks. This is of course a measure of the dreadful financial and economic conditions we are likely to inherit.
Constituency: Hove
Paul Elgood (Liberal Democrat)
Do the South Downs matter to you? Of course, the protection of the natural environment is an absolute priority.
Opportunities and challenges for the South Downs Ensuring democratic accountability. And resisting any pressure on new development.
Additional housing Needs to be decided on a case by case basis, however there are huge numbers of brownfield sites across the south which should be used first.
New/expanded roads There is a need for expansion of the A27 in Worthing
Is there a place for quarrying in the SDNP? Again on a case because basis
Renewable energy and energy conservation Wind turbines offer a significant opportunity to tackle climate change but must be set in the right landscape
New high-voltage electricity lines These are acceptable if buried
Message for farmers I would like to see us build on current progress and work jointly with all interested parties.
Sustainable transport A number of public transport gateways should be establish to give people easy access
Rights of way management Maintenance and legal work on rights of way should be functions of the national parks authority, if it is a fully accountable body
Broadband This is a priority and needs to be rolled out far quicker than is currently being done.
Constituency: Lewes
Norman Baker (Liberal Democrat)
Do the South Downs matter to you? Yes. The South Downs is a fantastically beautiful part of the country and it is a delight to me that much of it falls within my constituency.
Opportunities and challenges for the South Downs The biggest opportunity is clearly to be able to maximise the positive creation of the South Downs National Park and the biggest challenge is to ensure that the sheer numbers who may be attracted do not damage the environment of the Park itself. That will require clear strategies to encourage people to arrive at the National Park by public transport, notably tri, and to have a strategy to mange visitor numbers carefully.
Additional housing There is clearly a need for additional housing in the South East although much more could be done to help support regional economies elsewhere in the country to prevent the migration to the South East which has been happening in recent years. Clearly the first aim should be to build on brownfield sites and within existing planning envelopes. I am not in favour of building occurring on protected landscapes unless there are exceedingly good reasons to do so in any particular circumstance.
New/expanded roads No, we don’t see a need for any new roads in or close to the National Park or the expansion of existing ones. Lib Dem policy will in fact reduce significantly the road-building budget and invest instead in rail.
Quarrying Generally, I don’t think there is a place for quarrying in the South Downs National Park, but each planning application would of course have to be assessed on its merits.
Renewable energy and energy conservation I am in favour of localised energy generation wherever possible and I think in overall environmental terms, renewable energy causes far fewer problems than the use of fossil fuels, or nuclear energy, or the transmission of either over very long distances, often by means of ghastly pylons. I therefore think that sympathetic renewable energy projects in the South Downs ought to be supported.
New high-voltage electricity lines No, I don’t think it would be acceptable for new high-voltage electricity lines to be carried through the National Park.
Message for farmers My message to farmers is that farming practices are to a large degree responsible for the creation of the lovely landscape we have and the continuation of farming is essential to the protection of that landscape. It is important that farmers are incentivised in a way that protects the environment, through specific grants that encourage organize and sensitive farming.
Sustainable transport The Lib Dem manifesto will set out plans to extend the rail network and reduce fares, and will also indicate how we wish to see more control of the bus network handed to locally-elected councillors.
Rights of way management I have no strong views on this matter and would be interested to hear the views of others on this specific point.
Broadband I think rural communities are entitled to have access to broadband as much as anybody else and I do not see why the extension to rural communities of broadband should require the landscape being harmed.
National Park funding Yes, funding for National Parks will be protected if the Lib Dems form the next government.
Constituency: NE Hampshire
James Arbuthnot (Conservative)
Now that the South Downs has been designated, everyone wants to see a national park that works for the whole community. We are currently discussing with government, councils and the interim park management how best to ensure local accountability so that communities within this exceptionally large park area feel fully involved and represented.
Constituency: Worthing West
Hazel Thorpe (Liberal Democrat)
Additional housing Housing and spatial planning policy has gone badly wrong under Labour with serious environmental consequences. As spatial planning is handed over to unelected economic development agencies the ability for local people to determine where new developments should be sited will decrease further. An area of Green Belt the size of Birmingham is at imminent risk of being lost – with huge consequences for biodiversity, carbon emissions and local food production because of the targets set through the government’s Regional Spatial Strategies. For all their green words, RSSs don’t distinguish between brownfield and greenfield sites since the government abolished the so-called ‘sequential test’ in favour of brownfield in 2006 (having actually introduced it in 1998). Developers are now making a beeline for cheaper, large greenfield sites on the edge of existing towns, instead of much needed urban regeneration. RSSs tend to favour these ‘urban extensions’ (partly because of a need to reduce commuting distances) but these tend to be the most treasured green spaces of all – right next to where most urban populations live.Liberal Democrats will reverse Labour’s Planning Act to return planning decisions to local control, abolishing the Infrastructure Planning Commission and regional housing targets and will instead use environmental capacity as the key guidance for identifying sites for development in the planning system. We will therefore prioritise brownfield sites for development but ultimately believe it is best to hand the power back to local authorities who know how many and where new homes are needed.
Renewable energy and energy conservation Liberal Democrats believe that we must move away from dirty fuels and harness the potential of the environment. However, this must happen in a sympathetic way so as to not disrupt the beauty and cultural significance of the National Parks, Sites of Specific Scientific Interest and areas of particular importance or value to communities.
New high-voltage electricity lines There is no formal party policy on the issue of such lines being carried through National Parks. However, it is worth noting that Friends of the Lake District have a campaign to ensure that power lines are built under the ground rather than above it, which Tim Farron our Liberal Democrat Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, has supported.
Message for farmers Farming is an important part of Britain’s economy and Liberal Democrats will build on that strength to ensure that farmers are able to earn a living wage and also help protect our natural environment and heritage. Liberal Democrats will re-organise the way in which Single Farm Payments are delivered to farmers. By simplifying the application process and raising the minimum threshold to £300 we will re-target CAP payments to family farmers and speed up the system for everyone. The money freed up by this reform would then be used to provide extra support for hill farmers, cheap loans to help farmers invest in environmentally friendly biogas digesters and a new Farming Apprenticeship scheme.
Sustainable transport Liberal Democrats recognise the key role that tourism plays in Britain today and want to support the industry by investing in sustainable public transport. We believe that we need a fast and reliable rail network to provide people with a real alternative to domestic flights. We would build a new north-south high speed rail line to the best European standards which will replace much internal aviation and cut one of the fastest growing sources of carbon.However, our plans will not come at the expense of local rail improvements. These will be paid for by redirecting money out of the major roads budget and into our existing rail network.
Rights of way management Everyone needs green space close to home. We often take it for granted, but natural places are crucial to our quality of life, whether it’s to get some fresh air, to walk the dog, to connect us with nature, or to meet friends. Liberal Democrats will ensure that everyone has access to the natural environment and that local people have control over it by insisting on Natural England’s Natural Green Space standards being incorporated into Local Development Frameworks to ensure accessible green space is provided for everyone. We will also create a new designation-similar to Sites of Specific Scientific Interest status-to protect green areas of particular importance or value to the community (such as green spaces close to urban populations).In far too many cases local residents who find themselves within National Park boundaries often feel removed from the democratic process and unable to effectively challenge the decisions made by the various parks’ committees. Liberal Democrats believe that the people who live and work in the national park area should be properly represented on the park authority. We will introduce partial direct elections for National Parks to provide greater accountability for decision making, but to also raise awareness of the issues that affect these areas of outstanding beauty.
Broadband Liberal Democrats would launch a review of broadband coverage and quality in remote areas, making connectivity a regulatory requirement. We will also review the minimum speed of broadband connection speed as technology improves.
National Park funding Liberal Democrats want to be honest with the British public and will not commit to ring-fencing any budgets in the next Parliament. However, we believe that the current economic climate makes it more important than ever for National Park funding to be spent in an effective and efficient manner. This is why Liberal Democrats are committed to people who live in National Parks the opportunity to decide how this money is spent by introducing partial direct elections.
Constituency: Winchester
Patrick Davies (Labour)
My position on the South Downs National Park is clear. As a Winchester City Councillor I lead a campaign to support the cause but the Lib Dem and Conservative Councillors strongly opposed the whole concept of a national park. City Council officers were instructed by them to appear at the Inquiries to that effect!
Constituency: Worthing East & Shoreham
James Doyle (Liberal Democrat)
Do the South Downs matter to you? Yes: personally because I am a walker on and appreciator of the Downs for 25 years or more, and also because I think we have a responsibility to protect and enhance this irreplaceable treasure
Opportunities and challenges for the South Downs Making the National Park work effectively; control and manage development of housing, transport, etc.; and support the maintenance of viable communities
Additional housing Housing should not be sited in protected landscapes unless it's absolutely necessary – and should be held to a much higher standard of design and sustainability if it's allowed. The South East needs more housing, but we need to encourage a better spread of employment across the country to even out this demand, and in the SE we need to make sure housing is sited in the right places
New/expanded roads Something needs to be done about the A27 around Worthing, but I am absolutely clear that anything done should not impact on the South Downs
Quarrying Quarrying has been a historical industry on the Downs, so it can be done – but it needs to be smallscale, sustainable and sensitive to the environment
Renewable energy and energy conservation I am in favour of promoting renewables; including wind and solar power.
New high-voltage electricity lines These would be acceptable if they were put underground!
Message for farmers Farmers should be supported to diversify products away from monoculture farming, and should be given opportunities to sell produce locally.
Sustainable transport I would like to see better linking of public transport, e.g. bus and train, or allowing bikes on trains.
Rights of way management National Park Authority should do both the maintenance and legal work.
Broadband Communities are banding together to provide wireless-based broadband; this should be a priority for future governments.
National Park funding This will be protected if the Liberal Democrats form the next government.