Countryside management and rights of way in the South Downs are currently managed by the South Downs Joint Committee.

Rights of way outside the South Downs are managed by the county council.

The council has the right to retain both functions, and has decided not to delegate them to the newly formed South Downs National Park Authority.

Cabinet member for environment and economy, Councillor Deborah Urquhart said: "By managing of Rights of Way and countryside sites, it means the park authority is then able to focus on areas such as improving key routes, developing better access and working with landowners to improve the landscape and biodiversity.

"We believe we can make the management of the whole rights of way network more efficient and effective if it were all carried out by the county council.

"If the functions were delegated, we would have to pay the authority to manage them."

Hampshire County Council has confirmed it also won't delegate either function to the authority.

East Sussex County Council and Brighton and Hove City Council have yet to decide.

Cllr Urquhart added: "The county council has always been clear that the South Downs National Park should not take away powers from local authorities who, after all, know their local area well.

"Major decisions, such as planning, should be decided by locally-elected members, accountable to local communities, and not government appointees, and I am delighted we are retaining control of our rights of way network and the management of countryside sites within the National Park."


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