Residents say: keep our Downs public—Andrew Durling, Eastbourne & District Friends of the Earth, 17 November 2016
On Wednesday 16th November just before a full council meeting of Eastbourne Borough Council a large crowd gathered on the steps of Eastbourne Town Hall to protest against the council’s intention to sell off four farms on the Eastbourne Downland Estate, comprising over 3,000 acres, or 75%, of the total estate.
The demand of the protestors was simple: there should be no sell-off, and the farms should remain in the care of Eastbourne Borough Council to manage for the benefit of all Eastbourne residents, for all visitors to the Downs, and for the protection and enhancement of the downland wildlife that makes visiting the Downs such an enjoyable experience.
Jenny Shorter, a spokesperson for the Keep Our Downs Public campaign group, said:
“People really care about keeping the Downs in public ownership.The council has been ensuring the downland is effectively managed for decades and there will be no guarantees on what happens to these farms if the sales go through. Once they are in private hands there are less controls on the use of the land.”
The protest was called by the Keep Our Downs Public campaign and Eastbourne Friends of the Earth . During the protest, the Leader of Eastbourne Borough Council, David Tutt made an offer to the protestors of holding discussions with him and his colleagues about the proposed sale of the farms and expressed his willingness to listen to concerns about the sale. That offer will be taken up by the Keep Our Downs Public campaign, although the need for such discussions can be avoided if the council immediately halts its proposed sale of the farms.
IMAGE CREDIT: Andrew Durling
