NATIONAL Park bosses say they need more time to examine thousands of objections to their blueprint for the future of the New Forest.

The National Park Authority (NPA) has revealed that plans to publish a revised version of the document have been hit by a two-month delay.

Campaigners have welcomed the hold-up, saying they hope it will ensure that all the protests are taken into account.

The NPA sparked fury last summer after publishing proposals that included dog-free car parks, tighter restrictions on horse ownership and the possibility of road tolls.

Members defended the document, claiming it was partly a compilation of ideas that had already been put forward by other organisations.

New Forest Protest

However, the huge public outcry resulted in the formation of the pressure group Forest Uprising, which staged a series of rallies across the district.

The New Forest Dog Owners’ Group also took part in the campaign – one of the biggest the area has ever seen.

During the consultation period the NPA received a total of 9,000 responses, 90 per cent of which were critical. Campaigners also collected a 7,200-name petition.

David Dickenson, deputy chairman of the dog owner’s group, welcomed the revelation that NPA bosses needed more time to consider the protests.

“We have been pressing since January for the authority to take proper account of the morass of objections from an angry public,” he said.

“This breathing space will give it the opportunity to do this.”

A NPA spokesman said: “The original aim was to take a revised version of the National Park Plan to an authority meeting in May.

“However, given the authority’s commitment to listen and the work involved in revising the draft in the light of comments received, this is no longer feasible.

“The aim is to have the plan approved before the summer break in July.”