Homes bid on land teeming with wildlife

A BID to build on Seaford grassland rich with wildlife has been given the thumbs down by the town council.

Elkington Development Ltd has lodged a bid with Lewes District Council to build eight houses on land off Surrey Road in Hawth Valley.

Previous bids to build on the land have been fiercely opposed by townsfolk. A Government inspector rejected one proposal to develop the land at a public inquiry in the 1970 s.

Leonard Fade, whose home in Hawth Close overlooks the land, told the Express any development would be a terrible blight on an area with a wealth of flora and fauna.

He said: 'Over the years there have been several failed attempts to build on the land. The amount of wildlife there is enormous. It would be horrendous if it was bulldozed.

At a Seaford Town Council planning committee meeting on Thursday last week members agreed.

Council leader Laurie Holland said: 'This application gives me great concern. This should be put to bed once and for all. It is an amenity area and should remain so.

Cllr Pauline Gower agreed and said a number of residents had written or stopped by at the town council offices to make their objections known. They reported a diverse range of animals including foxes, rabbits, newts and pheasants on the land.

Cllr Gower said: 'We are very short of amenity areas in Seaford and residents are very concerned about this.

The application will now go before Lewes District Council for its consideration.