People are being urged to have their say as the clock counts down to the deadline for a consultation on the future of the South Downs National Park.

The Local Plan Review will decide how and where development takes place in the National Park, as well as addressing important issues such as nature recovery, climate change, affordable housing and helping local communities thrive.

More than 600 comments have been received from the public so far, including more than 400 through the online consultation platform and a further 200 via email or post.

Throughout January and February, more than 800 people attended consultation events at venues across Sussex and Hampshire.

Claire Tester, planning policy manager for the National Park Authority, said: “We’ve had a really good response to the consultation and I’d like to thank everyone who has taken the time to give their feedback.

“This is the main opportunity for people to help shape the final Plan, so it’s really important that if you care about the future of the National Park that you take part in the consultation.”

The proposal is to keep much of the existing Local Plan, including the emphasis on landscape-led, which means the nationally-designated landscape is considered in every planning decision. The Local Plan will continue to prioritise the provision of clean air, water, dark skies and food and a medium level of growth spread across the towns and villages of the UK’s youngest National Park.

Feedback from the public will help shape the next version of the Local Plan, which will be published in 2026 ahead of its submission for examination by an independent Inspector. Once the new Plan is adopted in 2027, it will be used to help decide all planning applications.

The consultation runs until midnight on Monday, March 17.