PLANS to make the New Forest's national park area bigger than the one covered by its present heritage area boundary have been welcomed by a senior district councillor.

The Countryside Agency, which has been given the job of seeing the national park plans through, recently unveiled a scheme to include land north of Totton; Lymington and its nearby marshes; the Avon Valley where it runs parallel to the Forest, and other key areas.

With Dibden Bay, earmarked for a port by Southampton Docks owner Associated British Ports, also included in the draft boundary, council vice-chairman Ann Drake, who also represents the district on the New Forest Committee, commented: "I am pleased to see the additional land proposed by the Countryside Agency.

"We have long thought that these areas were worthy of national park protection."