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Row over plans to sell land around Beachy Head bought by public subscription in 1929

Ithas been in public hands since 1929, when the citizens of Eastbourne bandied together to buy the farmland around Beachy Head for the common good.

Indeed the same desire to protect the landscape which propelled the town’s citizens to raise a public subscription of £100,000 for the land, led to the foundation of groups such as the Campaign to Protect Rural England, tasked with the mission of protecting the landscape from the threat of development and urbanisation.

But now Eastbourne Borough Council is planning to sell off the 3,000 acres of farmland around the gently rolling chalk downland of Beachy Head for an estimated £25 million, to raise badly needed cash for the town’s coffers.

The move has spilt the town down the middle, with opponents of the plan accusing the council of betraying the principles which led to the land’s purchase.

At the time it was taken into public ownership council stated expressly that its vision was to preserve “in perpetuity” the land’s beauty and the public’s access to it.

Eastbourne downland sale map

Opponents of the sell off claim that it will place the farmland at risk of piece-meal development. They argue that despite the 3,000 acres being part of the South Downs National Park it will be hard to stop any new owners erecting modern farm buildings, ploughing up grassland for crops and building new access roads.

Brenda Pollack, of the Keep Our Downs (KODP) public campaign, said: “The coastal area around Beachy Head is one of the most beautiful landscapes in England. While the council proposes to retain this narrow coastal strip, the four farms it is proposing to sell, form a highly accessible and important backdrop to this area.”

She added: “Although this is farmland, there is a deep concern that remaining fragments of chalk grassland - an internationally rare habitat - will decline. Under public ownership there has been a linking up of chalk grassland areas, safeguarding of archaeological treasures and management which has improved public access.

“Once in private hands there will be no guarantees on how the land is managed. Despite being in the National Park, piecemeal damage - such as conversion of farm buildings, ploughing grassland, temporary shelters, new fences and farm roads can all work to change the landscape and don’t always require planning permission.”

Eastbourne Council is to held a public poll on the issue on March 3 to gauge the views of the town’s residents.

Should voters back the sell-off the land will be offered to nearby landowners, including the Chatsworth Estate, and the four tenant farmers who currently work the land.

The council says it will invest the money in revenue generating ventures as well as using it to build a new swimming pool and leisure complex to replace the existing one, which costs £340,000 a year to maintain, and a new conference centre to attract business to the area.

But campaigners accuse Eastbourne of trying to bully residents into backing the sale.

Simon Boyle, an environmental lawyer and member of KODP, said: “They are deliberately using scaremongering tactics by saying that it is a choice between the downs or vital public services. believe that there are alternatives.

“The council has already raised £5m for Devonshire Park. The private sector should be willing to partner with the council.”

KODP - which has already collected 10,000 signatures against the sell-off plans, is today staging a march through Eastbourne town centre, culminating in a rally at the town’s bandstand.

Mrs Pollack said: “Locals are incensed partly because the purchase of the land in 1929 was made possible by public donations. The council, like many others is seeking ways of increasing funds in cash strapped times. But this is tantamount to selling off the family silver - it can only happen once.”

CPRE Sussex, which also opposes the sale, added: “We appreciate that the Council, like many across the country, is hard pressed in terms of finances. However the iconic Eastbourne Downland is amongst the jewels in its asset portfolio and should not be squandered for short-term financial gain.”

Eastbourne council rejected fears that any sell off would threaten the landscape and environment around Beachy Head.

In a statement the council said: “Contrary to some reports, the farms will remain farms, access across them will remain unchanged, as will the strict protection and controls that are enforced by the South Downs National Park Authority.”

Beachy Head: 8 interesting facts

  1. Beachy Head is the tallest chalk sea cliff in the United Kingdom, reaching heights of 162 metres (531 feet).

  2. A prominent formation of Beachy Head, named the Devils’ Chimney, broke off the cliff in 2001 due to the expansion of freezing water in the cracks of the chalk face.

  3. The name ‘Beachy Head’ is said to derive from ‘Beauchef’ or ‘Beaucheif’, from the French words ‘beau chef’, meaning ‘beautiful head’, used in the 1200s and 1300s.

  4. It is the home to two lighthouses, one named ‘Belle Tout’ built on the cliff in the 1830s (now a Bed and Breakfast), and the second built in the sea in the early 1900s.

  5. The South Downs chalkland surrounding Beachy Head is home to hundreds of gulls, snakes, rabbits, badgers and foxes.

  6. Beachy Head has been featured in several films and TV dramas, including a Harry Potter film and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and provided inspiration for works of literature and music.

  7. In 1929 Eastbourne bought 4,000 acres of land surrounding Beachy Head to save it from development, at a cost of about £100,000.

  8. The ashes of Karl Marx’s friend and fellow Communist, Friedrich Engels, were scattered off the cliffs at Beachy Head on his death in 1895.