THE Department for Transport has awarded £3.8m to Hampshire County Council, the New Forest National Park and South Downs National Park – together with the neighbouring highways authorities of Brighton & Hove, East Sussex, West Sussex, Surrey and Wiltshire – for initiatives to reduce the impact of traffic on the two national parks.
The money will be spent on improving key public transport services into the two National Parks, making it easy to reach visitor attractions, promoting travel by cycle, bus and rail and managing traffic.
Councillor Mel Kendal, executive member for environment and transport at Hampshire County Council, said: “This will help us significantly in working towards establishing a number of initiatives with the potential to reduce the impact of traffic and transport on these unique areas of the countryside, famous for their outstanding natural beauty.” Julian Johnson, chairman of the New Forest National Park Authority, said: “This is a once-in-a-generation funding opportunity.
“I am so pleased that everyone’s hard work has paid off and that we have been successful. We now have a real opportunity to make a difference to sustainable transport in the New Forest.”
