The battle over whether to put new homes on Whitehawk Hill has intensified as the Conservatives warned that any building there risked worsening the flooding that already happens in rainy weather.
The warning came from the former leader of Brighton and Hove City Council, Mary Mears, who grew up in the area.
She was joined by fellow Conservative councillor Dee Simson as the pair spoke out about green spaces that they said were threatened by the Labour-run council’s plans.
Councillors Mears and Simson vowed to fight to save Whitehawk Hill, Ingleside Stables and the South Downs Riding School and Reservoir.
They said that all three “greenfield” sites were at risk of being concreted over as a result of a planning blueprint known as City Plan Part Two.
The plan is due to be debated by councillors next week and proposes building 75 homes on the three sites.
The Conservative group said that it had put forward 30 amendments to the far-reaching City Plan document.
The group wants to delete a whole section of the document which would allocate 16 greenfield sites on Brighton and Hove’s “urban fringe” for housing.
It has also put forwarded a more targeted amendment aimed specifically at removing three sites from the plan – Whitehawk Hill, Ingleside Stables and the South Downs Riding School and Reservoir.
Councillor Mears, deputy leader of the Conservative group, said that she had fought before to protect Whitehawk Hill from development.
She said that the City Plan Part Two would “damage an iconic part of Brighton, create a flood risk to nearby communities and result in precious recreational green space being lost for ever”.
She added: “Previous proposals for Whitehawk Hill have been rejected and for good reason – the sites are unsuited to development.
“Whitehawk Hill is situated at the back of Whitehawk with a very steep slope and when it rains water pours down the hill causing flooding by the flats below.
“Any development on this site will cause untold misery to residents below, not only by flooding but also by removing a special place of peace and tranquillity for residents of the vast development already in Whitehawk, the majority of which have no gardens.
“As we are often told, access to green space and being able to enjoy the natural environment is good for people’s physical and mental wellbeing.
“The benefit of protecting this green space for the city was understood historically. Going back, the then Duke of Norfolk ensured that no building would be above the view line from the start to finish of the racecourse.
I would add that council housing on whh would not be suitable for those likely to be on council waiting lists for housing. Many will have mobility issues and the gradients on whh mean housing will not be accessible to those who need it. This is already an issue in whitehawk.