THE first chairman of the New Forest National Park Authority has hailed the area's new status as an "essential" step forward.

Former planning officer Ted Johnson said the Forest's designation as a National Park would ensure it had the money and expertise to tackle issues such as the growth in tourism.

Mr Johnson, 70, of Pennington, was elected yesterday at the inaugural meeting of the authority.

He said: "The creation of the NPA is a positive step forward and an essential one if we're going to cope with the pressures on us in the future.

"We attract more people than almost any of the other national parks.

"The NPA is probably not in a position to control tourist numbers but its existence means the Forest now has additional resources and expertise to manage the problems."

Mr Johnson referred to claims that the birth of the National Park would result in the area being "over-run" with visitors.

He forecast that any increase would be "marginal," but added: "The pressures are now so great we need to ensure visitors enjoy their experience without damaging what they come here to enjoy."

Mr Johnson is a former director of planning for the district council.

He was chairman of the former New Forest Committee and still chairs the New Forest Consultative Panel, which he describes as the area's parliament.

"The Forest has survived for 950 years by trying to ignore the rest of the world and that's worked very well, but the society now has more leisure time and is more mobile," added Mr Johnson.

"We can't continue with that sort of isolationism if the Forest is to cope with the pressures of the 21st century."

Yesterday's meeting was held at the Lyndhurst Park Hotel and was attended by dozens of observers, including senior Forestry Commission officials, Lord Montagu of Beaulieu and Susan Carter, the authority's interim chief executive.

Mel Kendal, leader of the district council, was elected deputy chairman of the NPA.