Readers will be pleased to know that plans to close permanently three New Forest car parks as part of a wildlife project have been scrapped following massive opposition from users.

However, the Forestry Commission's Progress Project is planning to go ahead with seasonal closures of four car parks, plus the scrapping of many laybys despite admitting that the scientific evidence to support the move was "not perfect".

The car parks reprieved from permanent closure are Longslade View, Crockford Clump and Clay Hill at Burley.

Crockford Clump and Clay Hill now join the list of seasonal closures, along with Crockford and Hinchelsea Wood.

The closures are due to start in March and run through to the end of June for a trial period. Monitoring is due to last five years.

Pig Bush and Culverly, originally listed for seasonal closures, no longer feature on the hit list.

Many laybys popular with Forest users for parking before a walk are also to be closed. They include one on the A35 leading to Wilverley; those between Wilverley and Hincheslea; the Marchwood lay-by, and those in the area of Black Gutter near Godshill.

Some lay-bys around Wilverley have already been closed as part of the scheme.

The proposals for the closures met with overwhelming public protests when the Forestry Commission organised consultation sessions at various car parks last September.

Until NFDOG publicised them, very few people knew about the consultation sessions because they were not advertised in local newspapers.

Faced with this setback, the Forestry Commission broadened their consultation to include many more locals and visitors to the Forest.

They were taken aback to find that only 27% of those questioned supported the permanent closure of any car parks.

The revised Progress Project plans also met substantial opposition when revealed at a meeting of a stakeholders group, on which NFDOG is represented.

Universal anger was expressed at the inadequate research conducted on the numbers of ground nesting waders using the Forest.

Although in significant decline elsewhere in the country, the evidence presented suggests this is not the case in the New Forest.

The birds involved are snipe, lapwings, redshank and curlew.

The success or failure of the closures and other proposed pilot actions will be judged on surveys that have been conducted. The latest, the only one ever done that covers all the affected areas, was only carried out between June 10 and 29 last year, when many waders would have already finished nesting and moved away.

The statistics collected are being judged against surveys conducted elsewhere in 1994 and 2004, which started two months earlier than the latest research.

I pointed out that last year's survey covered only the final one and a half weeks of the scientific standard period.

DAVID DICKENSON, veterinary surgeon, on behalf of New Forest Dog Owners' Group.