Hazel dormice have been found for the first time in land earmarked for a potential housing development.
Benfield Valley Project say that dormice – which are a protected species – were found in four ecological survey boxes in one section of the valley, south of the A27 in Hangleton.
Seven of the nocturnal, tree-dwelling animals were found in and around nesting tubes south of the Brighton Footgolf site by the A27.
While no planning applications have been submitted, developers Hollybrook Homes will display plans for up to 100 homes in Benfield Valley at a public consultation beginning Wednesday, 29 November.
Helen Forester, chair of the Benfield Valley Project, said: “The valley is an absolute treasure trove when it comes to its ecology and it really does just keep giving and giving.
“Every time we do a nature walk or litter pick, we find something new and aside from connecting with the local community, that in itself is hugely rewarding.
“We will continue to campaign for the protection of the Benfield Valley – once it’s gone it can never be replaced.
“We will say again that this community deserves to have access to a high quality green space that provides both a haven for wildlife such as dormice, badgers and bats and an area of respite that supports human mental health and wellbeing.
“Our petition currently has more than 5,000 signatures, and that to us speaks volumes about the value that the valley holds in the city.”
Benfield Valley Project started a petition in 2021 which opposed including Benfield Valley in areas which could be developed as part of Brighton and Hove City Council’s City Plan Part Two.
But the site was included in the final draft of the city plan passed in October, which means the council can’t object to homes being built there in principle.
Licensed dormouse handler, Sally Wadsworth, spotted the mice on Saturday, 7 October around ecological survey boxes while on a walk through the valley.
Ms Wadsworth, who chairs the Benfield Wildlife and Conservation Group, said: “Dormice have become extinct in 20 counties in England, and we in Sussex and indeed Brighton and Hove are a stronghold for them.
“This year has been my best year for surveying them since I began in 2019.
“In our area, Benfield Valley and Benfield Hill, we’re bucking a national trend.
“We’re seeing a healthy population locally, so we need to hang onto them.”
I’m sorry to say that the dormouse will not save this site from development. A site near me had a plant species that was endangered and protected but the developers come up with some nonsense to mitigate against it and the development went ahead.
The Meadow in question has been destroyed along with plant life and anything thing else that lived there. We used to see owls, bats, badgers….etc now nothing.
The fact is the council couldn’t give a damn. Keep the brown envelopes coming!!!
Those housing developments are important. They provide social housing and low rent properties for the less well off…..
….No sorry this is Brighton. The developer will “undertake to provide the units promised, and got them their permissions in the 1st place, elsewhere. Along with ‘paying into a social fund'” I’m yet to see the, literal thousands of homes owed turn up anywhere. But the ‘social fund’ is apparently a roaring success. It allows green councillors to fly to Scotland to shout at everyone about how un-green we all.
3 bedroom semidetached houses for around £900,000 with several properties ranging around 1.5 to 2 million pounds, just what’s needed in this area. Locals won’t be taking up this wonderful offer but looking forward to Londoners moving in or second home owners…..What a joke!!!
Coldean had badgers, foxes, raptors and rodents, all were dismissed for the sake of a housing development that looks horrid. They don’t care they just want profit and socialist voter’s.
Yet again these destroyers of the countryside sorry l mean developers of the countryside are in it for their own gain, making a massive profit for their shareholders at the cost of losing more beautiful green and much needed open space. There are thousands of empty properties and plenty of brownfield sites they could use, but no they want prime moneymaking spots. I hope they can’t sell any as house prices are falling due to high interest rates. They must be stopped at all costs.
People need houses but they don’t use enough brown sites. The population is so much bigger now but when they build in this country they leave no greenery, Germany builds houses with green glades between. They are aware of nature for new houses, not scrape everything away
As usual the powers that be are totally ignorant of the need to preserve wildlife and flora .
Just as Poulson destroyed historic City centres for his Socialist masters in the North of England .Now it’s the turn of the flora and fauna to be destroyed and the result will be lack of insects required for pollination of food crops resulting in shortages or total disappearance of food in future. Once balance of Nature is destroyed it is practically impossible to recover.
When/if the Council ignore the will of the majority, about what THEY want in THEIR neighbourhood, then Total Dissent should be the response. Obstruct, interfere and make it clear the Council must cease forthwith in their actions, wich are destructive of Nature, and unwanted by residents. And to hell with paying their Council Tax. If all of you refuse, the Council will suffer. Just like you will all suffer if this contemptuous destruction of the Valley goes forward.
Keep up the fight Helen and please sign the petition guys. We need to protect our green spaces
I thought Brighton was run by green folk? Greed is powerful when your weak!
I blame Boris and the tories. Labour will fix it
You surely must have heard Starmer say how he plans to build on the green belt and has no time for nimbys, I put no faith in any politicians to preserve nature,they only look after their own bank balances.
Starmer want to build 3million homes he is intent on destroying green spaces he doesn’t care what happens to wildlife he’s probably calculated how much money will go into his bank account
Dormice are present in the Toads Hole valley site in Hove but the council have approved a large housing development there so you haven’t go much hope I’m afraid .
This Valley is a vital Green Space in our City and must be left as such!
The Valley already acts as a home for many forms of wildlife, a recreational place for families and an amazing area for City folk to escape and gain peace and solitude. A highway to the Downs National Park.The health benefits are enormous, especially for those suffering mental health issues.
Where housing is much needed for so many, it is time the Council looked at why 1 in 30 properties in the City are empty also the ownership of second homes. Add to that the extortionate rents that are charged by landlords in the City.
This Valley is not suitable for the earmarked 100 homes for many reasons and they must never be built !
There is scope for housing twinned with very sympathetic habitat protection for flora and fauna. There are lots of exciting architects out there with great ideas for very low impact on species, even promoting a rich ecology. But all I ever see get built are red boxes built on scraped earth.
Build fast, cheap, poorly constructed houses that make a lot of money for a company plus investors.
Brave govt’ intervention and more thought is way overdue. It’s possible…
Councils need to look into how many empty houses there are currently and start housing people in these by compulsory purchase if necessary. How many new builds are ‘investment’ properties that are never lived in?
Sadly councils care nothing for Wildlife and the mitigations are a joke! A27 bypass at Arundel at the time of public consultation however many years ago didn’t even have the land to plant up all the numbers of trees for mitigation, that’s how much mitigation matters to them!
I agree wholeheartedly so why aren’t they bringing back into.use all the empty houses before destroying the little we have left of our once green and pleasant land? Compulsory purchase has to be the way to go.
Successive governments increase the UK population by 300k per year to stifle wage growth and increase gdp growth. Its an economic model copied by the g7 nations. More housing then needs to be built thus profiting party donors. Developers always donate to the parties in power.