THE owners of the New Forest's ponies and cattle have told a public inquiry that they believe its proposed National Park area should be bigger - and should include the town of Fordingbridge.

Calls had earlier been made by Hampshire County Councillor Mel Kendal for the village of Milford-on-Sea to be included.

Richard Manley, chairman of the New Forest Commoners' Defence Association, which represents 750 commoners, told the inquiry at the Lyndhurst Park Hotel that he believed there were areas to the west, north and south of the Forest which should be included.

The proposed boundary has been drawn up by the Countryside Agency, which has prepared the designation of the area as a National Park for the government.

But Mr Manley said: "The NFCDA totally rejects the views of the Countryside Agency in that Fordingbridge is said to look westwards to Dorset and Wiltshire rather than eastwards to the Forest."

He also suggested that Fordingbridge should be included because of its strong cultural, economic and cultural links with the Forest.

Also on the western front, he said the CVDA was calling for additional areas west and south of Ringwood to be included.

Pointing out that the A338 road represented "a robust boundary", he suggested that the Park should include all the land east of the A338 from Town Common, near Christchurch, to the junction of the A338 and the A31 at the Ashley Heath Roundabout.

Also making calls for additions on the northern edge, he said the association was concerned that "large parts" of the area between Whiteparish and Embley had been left out.

In order to overcome that problem, he said it was recommending that "a more robust boundary allowing land with cultural, social and economic links with the Forest" should be included.