Sign the petition to save Coldean's precious Green space

A Coalition of Coldean Residents’ Groups has united to make a final stand to save the precious green land adjoining the South Downs and Stanmer Estate from development.

Two sites in Coldean have been listed for development in City Plan Part 2, which is currently going through a 2-month public consultation period, with residents encouraged to have their say.

One of the sites has already been cleared of vegetation and fenced off with special fencing to prevent nature returning - despite the City Plan Part 2 public consultation process continuing for another 5 weeks.

Representatives from local groups including Coldean Residents’ Association, Stanmer Preservation Society and Coldean Women’s Group, met at the site on Wednesday to make a final plea to the Council to change track.

Coldean Residents Association Secretary Rose Bunker, who has coordinated a Coldean residents’ petition to save the green space, said:

“A decade or so ago, an Urban Study conducted by the Council proposed this area for designation as a Local Nature Reserve, and said that 'the steep incline has rendered it undevelopable'; so how is it now considered suitable for 242 dwellings in high-rise blocks?”

Stanmer Preservation Society Chair Sue Craig said:

“The Chichester Estate (inc. Stanmer and Falmer) was purchased in 1947 in order to protect Brighton's drinking water supply from the chalk aquifer beneath the land, and to protect the land from building developments.

“The site remains part of the Grade II Listed & Registered Garden (the same status as the Kemp Town Enclosures) and is designated as a Local Wildlife Site in the B&H Local Wildlife Sites Review, updated in February 2020. As such, it should be exempt from development.”

Coldean Women's Group’s Anna de Wit said:

“The green space is extremely valuable to our community; it provides a wide range of benefits to our mental, physical health due to the knowledge that wildlife is respected at the same time. “

Coldean Residents' Association Treasurer Rob Berry said:

“I think we need to protect our green spaces – before we lose them all to development!”

Councillor Robert Nemeth urged interested residents to complete the consultation here and sign the petition below to help Coldean residents with their campaign to save these 2 Coldean sites from development.