THERE is still time to reverse the decision of the Countryside Commission that the South Downs should not have national park status. Environment Minister Michael Meacher, who knows the Downs well, will make the final decision next month. The Commission believes it would be best to continue with the present status of the South Downs as an area of outstanding natural beauty. That has given these lovely hills some protection over the last half century but has not prevented thousands of acres being taken away for housing developments, often badly designed. Nor has it stopped many farmers from ploughing up original chalk downland, replacing it with ploughed fields which are far less attractive. The Downs are enjoyed by millions of people, many of them living in nearby large towns. They deserve all the protection they can get and the Commission's safeguards are not nearly strong enough.

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