Press release issued Thursday, 27 February, 2014
No building in National Park
Clear message to developers at Ovingdean
Brighton & Hove Friends of the Earth (BHFOE) is calling on developers, Lightwood Property, to clarify whether their housing plans for Ovingdean and Woodingdean include building in the National Park. Documents submitted to the Brighton & Hove City Plan process shows a number of options for developing between Ovingdean and Woodingdean, three of which include building in the National Park [1].
While the developer has yet to hold the public consultation on its proposals [2], if these include all the options it has previously put forward, BHFOE would be strongly opposed to its plans. Only option 1, outside of the National Park should be considered as a possible site for development, recognising that there is a real need for more homes in the city. BHFOE would be opposed to option 2, which involves building on the school’s sports pitches and relocating these within the National Park. Options 3, 4 and 5 all involve building in the National Park on land which also has local wildlife designations.
Chris Todd from BHFOE said:
“The developers have previously produced a number of options for developing in this area. Now it seems that they are serious about these plans they need to come clean, sooner rather than later, as to what they are proposing.
“This is an extremely narrow part of the National Park and sensitive to any form of development. It is entirely unsuitable to large new housing proposals. Any development here could throttle the National Park and sever The Mount Pleasant area from the wider South Downs.
“Only option 1, which lies outside of the National Park is worthy of any consideration. Option 2 which involves building on the playing fields and relocating them further away from the school in the National Park is also unacceptable.”
[1] See Lightwood Property website – http://www.brightoncityplan.co.uk/ this link takes you direct to document produced for City Plan. The various options are outlined on pages 40 – 49 of this document.
[2] A public exhibition will be held on 11 and 12 March at Longhill School about the plans.
Brighton & Hove Friends of the Earth 