"National Park" is an internationally recognised designation which acts as a tourist magnet. Such parks are about balancing the need to conserve unique landscapes and habitats while promoting sustainable recreation. They tend to be in sparsely populated areas with rugged, open countryside and a sense of wilderness.

The Countryside Agency believes the South Downs is such a tract of countryside and should become a National Park. The South Downs are part of a highly congested and prosperous region.

About one million people live in or around the Downs, 2.8 million within 20 miles and ten million within an hour's journey. The Sussex Downs receive in excess of 32 million visits a year. Most are by local residents. Anyone who has spent a summer's day at their favourite spot on the Downs knows they can be crowded already.

How will the South Downs cope with being not only a local but a national and international tourist destination? Will more homes have to be turned into B&Bs and guest houses? Will our lanes have to be widened to accommodate more charabancs? Will you have to queue at a turnstile to enjoy your favourite view?

The proposed South Downs National Park is an experiment. It's the first National Park to be proposed in an area that is heavily populated with little accessible or open countryside. If, like me, you are worried about the underlying premise, you have until February 28 to let the Countryside Agency know in writing.

-Bernie Saunders, North Bersted