All posts by Luke Geoghegan

South Downs Summer Bucket List

July 30th, 2014

Schools out and so is the sun! The South Downs have a lot to offer at any time of year but some activities best or only enjoyed during  the summer. Here are just a few favourites. Count butterflies The chalk grasslands of the South Downs are a great place to spot beautiful butterflies such as […]

Community celebrates new South Downs Centre

July 29th, 2014

More than 500 people visited the new South Downs Centre in Midhurst on Sunday 27 July for a special community open day to celebrate the new facility and mark the start of National Parks Week. Many were former students and staff who had studied or taught in the building when it was a school. Around […]

Young South Downs writers mark National Parks Week

July 28th, 2014

Children from Medstead C of E Primary School have won first and second place in a competition asking them to write about ‘My best day in the South Downs’. Fred Kavanagh, age 10, won first place for his vivid description of ‘Iconic Goodwood’ and Lorna Plumridge, also 10, won second place for a sweet tale […]

Students show off at South Downs conference

July 22nd, 2014

Research on where the best place in Sussex would be to reintroduce beavers; how planning can encourage physical activity; and how the way vineyards are managed can impact on the diversity of farmland birds; were among the papers presented at the first ever South Downs Student Conference in Midhurst on Wednesday 9 July. Eighteen students […]

New funding boost for South Downs bus and rail

July 15th, 2014

Hampshire County Council and six partner authorities, including the South Downs NPA, have been successful in securing just over £2million from the Department for Transport’s Local Sustainable Transport Fund (LSTF) for projects which encourage and promote use of sustainable travel in the New Forest and South Downs National Parks. The funding, which is an extension […]

Permitted Development Rights removed for farm at Soberton

July 8th, 2014

The South Downs National Park Authority has removed planning rights for a field at Bere Farm in Soberton following concerns that the owner was preparing to subdivide the area with fences. At their meeting on 12 June 2014 the SDNPA’s Planning Committee issued the first article 4 direction since the National Park Authority took over […]

Volunteers give River Meon much-needed makeover

July 3rd, 2014

The River Meon is becoming a better home for plants, fish, birds and invertebrates thanks to a project to improve its flow through the village of East Meon. Local resident Nigel Brooks was instrumental in helping the project to get off the ground as well as physically rolling up his sleeves. Nigel said: “It’s been […]