The New Forest

110. The New Forest is of major historic, nature conservation and landscape value. In this plan any reference to the New Forest should be taken to apply to the Heritage Area as a whole. It contains a variety of natural and semi-natural habitats of a type and scale now rare in western Europe. Most of the Crown lands are within a Site of Special Scientific Interest, the international importance of which is reflected in its designation under European directives as a Special Protection Area and a candidate Special Area of Conservation. The special character of the area depends on the maintenance of traditional management practices as well as strict control over development and other pressures.

111. The traditional practice of commoning ( particularly depasturing grazing animals from surrounding farms on to the open forest) helps maintain its particular character and landscape quality. The economic viability of this activity is now problematical, and special measures are necessary to ensure its survival.

NF1 To protect the special character of the New Forest, development, even in accordance with other policies of this Plan, will only be permitted where individually or cumulatively with other existing or proposed development, it will not harm the flora, fauna, geological, archaeological or landscape character of the New Forest and will:

(i) help maintain the traditional commoning regime of grazing and management which contributes to the landscape and ecological character of the New Forest; and/or

(ii) help maintain the social and economic well-being of communities in the New Forest Heritage Area; and/or

(iii) promote the enjoyment and understanding of the Area by the public.

Once the boundary of the New Forest Heritage Area has been defined in local plans, it should be regarded as permanent unless there are exceptionally strong reasons for altering it. Any alterations to the boundary should only be undertaken through the local plan process.

112. The Government has declared its intention to designate a National Park in the New Forest (see para 101) and, for the moment, the area has been given a planning status `equivalent to that of a National Park'. The area to which National Park status and Policy NF1 applies is the New Forest Heritage Area.

113. The authorities attach great importance to the need to protect the New Forest; an area of international significance as important to the nation as the National Parks and the Broads. The area covers an open landscape of heaths, mires and woodlands (the `Crown' lands) together with surrounding farmland and estates. It includes defined villages and other more loosely-knit communities.

114. While most of the New Forest was previously designated Green Belt, this designation is not carried forward into this Structure Plan. The protection now provided by National Park planning status will strengthen the policies preventing inappropriate development in the New Forest. Local plans will set out in detail the types of development which are acceptable within the New Forest, in the context of the above policy. Where there is conflict between either the policies within a plan or the plans themselves, the primacy of those relating specifically to the New Forest must prevail.

115. While it is important to protect the New Forest, some development, which does not harm the landscape or ecological interests of the area may, nevertheless, be necessary to support commoning, other traditional forms of land management, or the vitality of local communities.