As per the City Plan Part 2 proposals, a section of the Benfield Valley in Hangleton is marked for the development of 100 dwellings.  This section of the valley is home to an abundance of wildlife and trees and ancient (Saxon) hedgerow, a number of which are either endangered or on the national protected species list (species at threat of endangerment), including badgers, wood mice, hedgehogs, adders, slow worms, a mature woodland and so much more, and should be protected, not destroyed.

The Benfield Valley is also the biggest urban woodland in Brighton and Hove and acts as a green lung, improving air quality from surrounding busy roads, including the A27, connecting the city with the South Downs and making the national park accessible to all.  It is well-loved by both locals and those from the wider city and is an importance part of our community.

The space is currently leased to Benfield Investments Ltd, a company who have tried and failed on a number of occasions to develop it for profit; up until now the council have always denied such plans but now the threat comes from the council itself.  Interestingly, the Benfield Valley was omitted from the CPP2 original proposals, but the leaseholders contested this, appealing to BHCC and arguing that the space had 'no ecological value,' a claim which we at the Benfield Valley Project have evidence that proves the contrary. 

BHCC argue that developing a section of the land will mean that they can take care of the rest of it but at what cost?  Once the woodland is destroyed it takes with it the years of maturation it has taken to create the wildlife haven that it is.

The Benfield Valley is also designated a SNCI (Site of Nature Conservation Interest), which, in an urban area such as Brighton and Hove, holds the same importance as a SSSI (Site of Special Scientific Interest) due to its impact on the surrounding areas.  We believe that the whole of the Benfield Valley should be marked as a nature reserve and given the protected status comes with this, and that it deserves.

Please sign the petition to safeguard this incredible local green space so that it can be cared for and enjoyed by the local community for generations to come.