DEPUTATIONS FROM MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC
A period of not more than fifteen minutes shall be allowed at each ordinary meeting of the Committee for the hearing of deputations from members of the public. Each deputation may be heard for a maximum of five minutes.
Notification of one Deputation has been received. The spokesperson is entitled to speak for 5 minutes.
1. Proposed Changes to Grazing Arrangements on the Beacon Hill Nature Reserve
Spokesperson – Boyd Darling
Members of the deputation:
Dawn Jones
Libby Darling
John Bryant
Mike Sexton
Proposed Changes to Grazing Arrangements on the Beacon Hill Nature Reserve
This deputation is made in response to the “proposed changes to grazing arrangements” on Beacon Hill Local Nature Reserve (BHLNR) as detailed on the Rottingdean Parish Council (RPC) website; and requests that funding for the erection of permanent ‘stock fencing’ along the north-eastern border between the grassland and woodland on BHLNR be refused and any future requests for new permanent fencing be refused in perpetuity.
This deputation is supported by [600+] signatories to a petition (See Appendix 1).
This deputation objects to the installation of permanent fencing because we consider it unnecessary; we believe it would effectively enclose the grassland and it would divide up the currently open space; permanently changing the character of BHLNR. This deputation also asserts that the objectives of sheep grazing can still be achieved whilst avoiding the impact that a permanent fence would have on both wildlife and other users of BHLNR.
Currently, the only justification provided in the proposal described on the RPC web page is that the fence “would reduce staff and volunteer time and the number of materials required to compartmentalise the hill for purposes of grazing sheep.”
The use of permanent fencing on BHLNR has been a contentious issue since first proposed in 2009. Then there was a petition of protest signed by over 220 local residents. (reported in the Argus on 16/12/2009 – see Appendix 2). The protest lead to an agreement at the February 2010 RPC Meeting, that permanent fencing would not fully enclose BHLNR and “it would only bound the two main roads” (See Appendix 3). Since this agreement, grazing on BHLNR has been managed by City Parks Rangers with the assistance of RPC’s Beacon Hill Stewardship Group (Formerly ‘Working Group’) and the Friends of Beacon Hill volunteers, using mobile equipment and temporary electric fencing. This deputation asserts that the “proposed changes to grazing arrangements” at BHLNR can still be achieved through the use of temporary fencing, rendering the proposed permanent fencing unnecessary and disproportionate to the issue it attempts to resolve.
BHLNR has been open, accessible land and a much-loved local feature for generations; formally designated as an LNR in 2004, it has since become part of the South Downs National Park. The management of the LNR is primarily meant to protect the habitat of endangered skylarks by supporting a range of plants and insects associated with chalk grassland. However, the woodland along the eastern edge of the site also forms a vital part of the overall biodiversity, supporting a diverse community of wild animals.
The proposed fence would, for large sections, separate the two contiguous habitats and, when in use, the temporary gates would turn this into a continuous barrier for the entire length of the hill which could be in place for 3 - 4 months of the year. While there have been opinions expressed on social media and in the RPC statement, regarding the possible effect that the proposed fence may have on the local wildlife. We believe the claim that the fence “will not be a barrier to wildlife” is un-founded and this deputation asserts that the erection of a fence in the proposed location would have SOME effect on the wildlife, the degree of detriment being unquantifiable, it may be benign, like forcing animals to deviate from their usual movement patterns, or it may cause injury or death. (See Appendix 4 for examples of wildlife and livestock entangled in fencing like the type proposed for Beacon Hill.
APPENDIX 1: Petition To: Brighton & Hove City Council, Rottingdean Parish Council, Friends of Beacon Hill and the Stewardship Group. “Stop the enclosure of Beacon Hill Nature Reserve Rottingdean in perpetuity.” Full details of all signatories attached.
APPENDIX 2: Argus Article published 16/12/2009
APPENDIX 3: Extract from Minutes from Rottingdean Parish Council Meeting February 2010
APPENDIX 4
Examples of the wildlife and livestock entangled in stock fencing..
1. Local sheep caught in stock fence.
2. Fox caught in stock fence (https://www.midsussextimes.co.uk/news/video-fox-rescued-fencing-746545)
3. Fox caught in stock fence (https://www.shutterstock.com/editorial/image-editorial/fox-gets-caught-in-a-wire-mesh-fence-leighton-buzzard-bedfordshire-britain-13-jan-2010-1085197a)
4. Horned sheep caught in stock fence:
