Selection Criteria

Local Wildlife Sites and 'City Wildlife' 

In March and April 2013 there was a public consultation over Local Wildlife Sites selection. Local Groups, naturalists and individuls contributed to the three workshops held  and 116 LWSs were agreed from a list of about 250 suggested sites (named below).

The County Ecologist reviewed this list of agreed sites, without wider consultation, and deleted half of them at a click of a mouse! This was five years later. No site surveys had been carried out in the meantime. Now, only 52 LWSs remain according to the BHCC City Plan. The decline in our Council's interest for biodiversity since 2013 can be seen on the 'City Wildlife Page' link (www.citywildlife.org.uk )  The Council did not attempt to maintain the web domain, let alone the original consultation and site selection data.​

Proposed LWS  [April 2013 workshops and selection consultations, with site names used by BHCC]

39 Acres  REJECTED

Abinger Road

Abinger Road Paddock

Alexandra Court  REJECTED

Argyle Road (Copse)

Balsdean Down

Balsdean Down East

Balsdean Downland North

Basin Road South

Bazehil Road Reservoir  REJECTED

Beach at Black Rock

Beaufort Terrace

Benfield Valley Central

Benfield Valley South

Bevendean Farm Slope

Bevendean Horse Paddocks

Black Lion Copse  REJECTED

Braeside Avenue (Scrub)  REJECTED

Bramble Rise  REJECTED

Braypool  REJECTED

Brighton Marina

Brighton Station North

Brighton Station South

Brown Loaf Farm  REJECTED

Burstead Woods

Cardinal Newman School

Casterbridge Farm

Cemeteries off Bear Road

Cliff Corner

Cliff Road Paddock

Cockroost Hill East

Cockroost Hill West

Coldean Lane Slopes

Coombe Meadow

Copse at Woodingdean Cemetery

Crescent Drive North

Crespin Way (Copse)

Deep Bottom & The Chattri

Ditchling Road (was named: 'Ditchling Road SW' = Woodbourne Meadows)

Dorothy Stringer (Wildlife Area)

Dyke Road Strip

Dyke Trail

Dyke Trail South  REJECTED

East Brighton Golf Course

Elmore Road

Elmore Road Scrub  REJECTED

Emaeus Gardens & St Nicholas

Engineerium Grounds  (Renamed to: Hove Park Reservoir and The Engineerium Grounds)

Ewe Bottom

Falmer Hill

Field East of Woodingdean

Field off Ravenswood Drive

Foredown Allotments

Green Ridge & Coney Woods

Happy Valley Downland

Heath Hill Down

High Hill

Highcroft Villas

Hodshrove Wood

Hogtrough Bottom

Hollingbury Industrial Estate

Hollingbury (Park) Golf Course

Hollingbury Wood

Hove Park Reservoir and The Engineerium Grounds

Howard Terrace Slopes  REJECTED

Land at 54 Crescent Drive North  REJECTED (but note similar name above)

Land at Bexhill Road

Land at Coldean Lane

Land at Sea-Saw Way

Land off Ashurst Road

London Road Station

Long Hill

Lots Pond to The Ridge, Stanmer

Loxdale Centre  REJECTED

Maderia Drive Green Wall  (renamed to: Wall Behind Madeira Drive) 

Meadow Vale Paddocks  REJECTED

Mile Oak Farm  REJECTED

Mile Oak Farm Bank  REJECTED

Mile Oak Farm Earthwork  REJECTED

Mile Oak Fields

Mill View Hospital  REJECTED

Millers Road  REJECTED

Mount Pleasant

New Barn Farm

New Barn Farm Slope

North Benfield Valley

North Bevendean Down

Oak Close (Copse)  REJECTED

Old Cottage Paddocks

Ovingdean Church to Cattle Hill

Ovingdean Copse  REJECTED

Ovingdean Hall

Park Royal & High School (Woods)

Parkmore Terrace Railside

Patcham Court Farm  REJECTED

Patcham Court Field

Portslade North Slope  REJECTED

Preston Twins  REJECTED

Queensdown

Redhill Sports Ground

Roedean School Slope

Rottingdean Pond

Round Hill North

Round Hill South

Roundhill Copse

Saltdean Chalk Pit

Saltdean (Down)

Saltdean Vale

Scrub at Mill Road (Hill) Roundabout   REJECTED

Scrub East of Woodingdean

Sheepcote Valley North

Sheepcote Valley (South

Sidehill Scrub

South Bevendean Down

Southwick Hill East

St Andrew's Old Church  REJECTED

St Helens Churchyard

St Leonards Churchyard

Standean Cottage

Standean Cottage Down

Stanmer Park East

Stanmer Park North

Stanmer Park South

Station Road

Stevenson Road (Quarry)

Surrenden Crescent & Surrenden Road

Surrenden Field (Copse)

Sweet Hill Scrub

Sweet Hill West

The Engineerium (Renamed to: Hove Park Reservoir and The Engineerium Grounds)

Three Cornered Copse

Toad's Hole Valley  (note: 'valley should be treated as if designated')

Toad's Hole Valley - West Slope

Tongdean Rise  REJECTED

Volks Railway Central

Volks Railway East

Volks Railway West

Waterhall East

Waterhall Farm Slope

Waterhall Golf Course Central

Waterhall Golf Course North

Waterhall Golf Course South

Waterhall Valley

Watts Bank

Westfield Avenue

Westlain Plantation

Whiteway Lane

Wish Park

Whittingehame Gardens (Copse)    REJECTED

Withdean Park Copse

Withdean Road Woods  REJECTED

Woolards Field  REJECTED

[END OF LIST]

In terms of Site Selection the National Guidelines published in 2010 emphasized the importance of local connections to nature. The species need not be rare. The habitats do not need to be regionally important, only 'semi-natural'. The opportunity of seeing lizards or hearing birds and perhaps even seeing them bringing food to their chicks in the Spring are important.

These are LOCAL wildlife sites, with a local connection and interest. Indeed, some may currently have low biodiversity interest, but the opportunities to enhance them for wildlife makes them important as LWSs.

Last update:  January 2024 

 Choosing the best wildlife sites in Brighton and Hove - 2013 Formal Consultation Invitations

From: Matthew Thomas [mailto: xxxxx@brighton-hove.gov.uk]

Sent: 27 March 2013 

To: Undisclosed recipients:

Subject: Choosing the best wildlife sites in Brighton and Hove

The selection panels take place at the following times and venues:

7pm, Tuesday 23rd April, Portslade Town Hall, Victoria Road, Brighton, BN41 1YF (for the Hove, Mile Oak and Portslade areas).

7pm, Monday 29th April, Saltdean Community Centre, Saltdean Park Road, Saltdean, BN2 8SP (for east Brighton, Rottingdean and Saltdean). 

7pm, Tuesday 30th April, Brighton Town Hall, Bartholomews, Brighton, BN1 1JA (for central Brighton, Wild Park and farmland to the north).