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GLAUCUS HOUSE :
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Glaucus@hotmail.com Shoreham.html
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Adur
District Council
Planning
Policy
Environmental Representations
Mill Hill Nature Reserve
Attention is drawn to the important wildlife reserve,
with a nationally important population of about 3000 Chalkhill Blue
butterflies.
”The Shoreham Bank (Mill Hill) was nationally the most
famous of all of the Sussex butterfly localities, yet its reputation was gained
from just one phenomenon - the numbers and aberrations of the chalkhill blue
butterfly, the archetypal downland butterfly that has been nationally
celebrated on the bank since at least the 1820's after nearly two centuries of
tradition, I have seen more than one aged lepidopterist's eyes fill with tears
when discussing the insect's modern demise on those hills.“
(From “A Revised History of the
Butterflies and Moths of
This is authentic natural downland with a special
characteristic of a large expanse of five acres of a carpet of prostrate
Horseshoe Vetch (a legume) and compatible downland herbs as the dominant flora
and another five acres of grass with Horseshoe Vetch. This is a rare low
fertility habitat.
This means it is a unique flora that does not fit in
with the National Vegetation Classifications (The computer test means it does
not comply with the general nature of such classifications and therefore should
be unclassified).
This means that any change of management from meadows
and rabbit warren needs a proper scientific environmental assessment which has
not been done.
Note: prostrate Horseshoe Vetch is destroyed in the
short term by cattle grazing and it is not renewable in a human lifetime as it
is a slow spreading perennial herb. Once gone, it cannot be replaced. The main
method of destruction is eutrophification, which occurs in patches over large
pastures, but on the small area of Mill Hill will occur rapidly all in one go. (References available.)
The other threat is ecological succession into woodland.
The shrub that is the leading incursor is Privet. Management needs to be in
place to aggressively control the Privet spread which will wipe out the
Horseshoe Vetch within 20 years at the current rate of spread.
There is an animal welfare issue with animals on the
land as both Horseshoe Vetch and Privet are poisonous to livestock. (No
guarantee they will eat it though.)
Recommendations:
That:
1) A proper environmental assessment should
be made of the flora and fauna of the land before any change of use (or
enhancement) is
proposed or implemented and that trial and error methods should not be used.
This could result in SSSI status and scientific advice become compulsory from English Nature,
because of chalk downland indicator species, rare BAP species, and specialised
flora and fauna.
2) That a
Friends of Mill Hill and Shoreham Downs should be established with local
representation.
3) That
management should be undertaken by a committee with local representation with a
local Councillor representation.
4) That
decisions should be made on a scientific basis.
5) That the primarily conservation interest
should be the preservation of the Horseshoe Vetch and the Chalkhill Blues in
preference to other concerns. (i.e. no enhancement by
introductions or management change without scientific advice and public
consultation.)
6) That the area should be retained as a
public open space and not put into private management.
7) That an ongoing environmental assessment
should be made.
8) That the biological
information should be readily available in the public domain (including a
schedule of work undertaken).
Note on the Local Plan:
Core Strategy
Annexed 1
ENV1 Nature conservation and biodiversity
Delivery Mechanism
Delivery mechanism should be by a local management
group and “Friends of ……” groups with scientific advice (e.g., scientists at English
Nature or West Sussex County Council with elected representatives who can be
contacted.). Management should be in local hands and not privatised to outside
third party bodies or private clubs like the Wildlife Trusts.
Local knowledge should be consulted. Management should
not be delegated to an absentee management group.
Yours sincerely
Andy Horton