124 - Pevensey Levels : Analysis: Ecosystem Services

Assets/attributes: main contributors to service –

• Fertile grasslands
• Orchards
• Arable farming systems
• Most (72 percent) land is classed as Grade 3
• Fish

State – 83 percent of the area is under pasture or is uncropped. This supports the principal food producing activity; livestock farming. Around half of farms are engaged in livestock farming.

Land use on the Pevensey Levels SSSI is presently dominated by grazing of cattle in the summer and sheep in the winter. Historically the site was managed by low intensity grazing, although in recent years silage production was introduced.

The area supports an important coarse fishery.

Main beneficiary – Local

Analysis – Permanent pasture supports beef, dairy and sheep farming. Much of the farming is low- intensity and/or organic and is often marketed towards the high-quality market.

Some traditional orchards survive but horticulture accounts for only 6 percent.

Improved drainage has allowed some arable farming but this remains at less than 10 percent and has reduced in the past 10 years as incentive measures and changes to water level management cause more land to revert to pasture.

Opportunities – Opportunities exist to support and extend existing “local brand” initiatives.

A farm in the area was a recent finalist in 2013 Farmer’s Weekly Dairy Farmer of the Year for the marketing of their organic produce and forging local identity. Another won RSPB’s wildlife-friendly farming award so opportunities exist to build on success and extend this good practice.

Principal services offered by opportunities –

• Food provision
• Regulating water quality

Assets/attributes: main contributors to service –

• Urban and parkland trees
• Elms in Eastbourne

State – Existing woodland coverage is very low at 1.5 percent. Little or none of the timber in the area is managed for commercial timber production.

Eastbourne has around 10,000 elm trees.

Main beneficiary – Local

Analysis – The open, treeless landscape is a defining feature of this NCA.

The situation of any new woodland planting would need to be carefully considered to maintain the landscape character. It should avoid the open marshland and wetland sites (except where new wet woodland is appropriate).

The urban area is surprisingly woody with many parks and mature street trees but these are managed for recreation, biodiversity and aesthetic appeal and present few opportunities for commercial timber supply.

East Sussex contains the largest substantial population of mature elms on UK mainland and the Dutch Elm Disease Control Area extends from Pevensey to Hove.

Opportunities – Urban parks may accommodate some tree planting and there are plans to surround Eastbourne Park with trees and shrubs. Generally, however, the landscape character of the Levels makes opportunities to extend woodland extremely limited so opportunities are minor.

Principal services offered by opportunities –

• Timber provision
• Biodiversity
• Genetic diversity

Assets/attributes: main contributors to service –

• Chalk aquifer
• River and ditches
• Water treatment works
• Natural springs

State – Most of the public water supply for the area comes from the Cuckmere catchment via Arlington Reservoir (outside the NCA). A small area of the NCA overlies the Eastbourne/Seaford chalk aquifer but there are no other significant aquifers.

The main river is the Waller’s Haven whose headwaters rise almost completely in the Ashdown Sands of the High Weald. A major public water supply abstraction on this river is located within the SSSI. In summer months the Haven acts as a reservoir for public water supply to Bexhill (outside the NCA).

To the west networks of rivers join to form the Pevensey Haven which discharges at Pevensey Bay.

A third smaller system called the East Stream, discharges to the sea to the east of Normans Bay.

In addition to the natural input, seven sewage treatment works discharge into the Pevensey Levels.

Main beneficiary – Regional

Analysis – The Seaford/Eastbourne chalk aquifer is classed as having no water available for further abstraction.

High water levels are needed in the Waller’s Haven to ensure outlying ditches and streams are kept topped up to support the resident wildlife.

The Ramsar site is for the rare ditch ecology which is water dependent. The wet fields further provide havens for wintering wildfowl and waders, although numbers of wildfowl have previously declined due to the drying out of the land.

The two main river systems enable summer feeding, such as the transfer of water around the ditch network, of about two-thirds of the SSSI. In general the eastern side of the Pevensey Levels is higher than the west and has lower water levels.

As water supplies decline due to decreased rainfall or over abstraction, low flows may become a regular feature and of increasing concern, resulting in reduced flushing of the system and the occurrence of algal blooms.

Water from the sewage treatment works can account for large proportions of water inputs to the wetland, particularly during dry summers. They are an import to the hydrological system, water having originated in the Arlington Reservoir, in the catchment of the Cuckmere River in Low Weald. An important water resource for the Pevensey Haven system is provided by the discharge from two waste water treatment works at Hailsham but these are associated with water quality problems, particularly during times of low flow in the receiving waters.

The western side of the SSSI does not generally have water resource problems and contains the lowest and wettest land, though suffers from water quality problems.

Opportunities – Seek to reduce the demand for water abstraction through promoting public awareness of water conservation and creating more on-farm water storage.

There is a need to promote water conservation measures in new and existing development to support existing water resources and help manage demand.

Work to safeguard natural water supplies, such as springs.

Principal services offered by opportunities –

• Water availability
• Biodiversity

Assets/attributes: main contributors to service –

• Elms
• Sussex cattle

State – Eastbourne has around 10,000 elm trees.

There are several breeders of Sussex cattle in or around the NCA

Main beneficiary – National

Analysis – East Sussex has the largest population of mature elms on UK mainland and specimens are therefore valuable genetic resources.

Although more associated with the neighbouring Weald, Sussex cattle are also a traditional breed of the Pevensey Levels. Their docile nature, ability to thrive on poor and marshy land and general hardiness mean they are still grazed within the NCA.

Opportunities – Support control of Dutch elm disease and encourage research initiatives to prevent infection and breed resistant strains.

Support promotion and use of traditional breeds such as Sussex cattle within the NCA.

Principal services offered by opportunities –

• Genetic diversity
• Sense of place/inspiration
• Sense of history
• Biodiversity

Assets/attributes: main contributors to service –

• Low lying wet fields
• Ditches

State – There is very limited woodland cover within the NCA (1.5 percent), offering limited potential for the provision of biomass.

Potential short rotation coppice (SRC) yield is medium in the north of the NCA and low in the south around Eastbourne. The potential yield for miscanthus is high apart from a very small area to the south-west (over Eastbourne) that has medium potential.

Main beneficiary – Local

Analysis – Biomass crops (SRC and miscanthus) would introduce a vertical element to an otherwise relatively flat landscape. SRC would be more appropriately located near settlements on higher ground, with lowland agricultural sites most suitable for miscanthus.

Eastbourne Park has also been assessed as being suitable for biomass crop growing because the soil type is suitable for willow and other biomass plants.

Opportunities – There may be limited opportunities for the creation of SRC in wetter, less fertile areas where it compliments existing habitat and helps regulate water flow and quality, but does not impact heavily on the characteristic open landscape, damage buried archaeological features or obscure heritage assets.

Explore opportunities to plant biomass crops within Eastbourne Park where this does not impact on biodiversity or landscape character.

There may be opportunities for renewable energy generation on the Sovereign Harbour development, particularly combined heat and power.

Principal services offered by opportunities –

• Biomass energy

Assets/attributes: main contributors to service –

• Soils
• Permanent pasture
• Grazing marsh and wet meadows
• Fen

State – Loamy and clayey soils of coastal flats with naturally high groundwater cover 54 percent of the NCA; with smaller areas of slowly permeable seasonally wet slightly acid but base-rich loamy and clayey soils, slightly acid loamy and clayey soils with impeded drainage and freely draining lime-rich loamy soils.

Wetland habitats, typical of the area, can provide valuable carbon stores. In accreting systems salt marshes have the potential for long-term storage of carbon.

Main beneficiary – Local

Analysis – Across almost all of the NCA there is a relatively low proportion of carbon stored in the top soil horizon (under 10 percent), although there is a small area with a slightly higher carbon content to the far south.

The undisturbed soils of the coastal and flood plain grazing marsh, and the wet loamy soils offer a significant carbon storage resource and future carbon storage capacity. High carbon levels may also be associated with the soils of the coastal flats where some variants may have organic-rich topsoils or peaty layers.

Opportunities – Carbon sequestration can be increased by increasing organic matter inputs on cultivated land where this does not impact on the fragile ecology of the area and by reducing the frequency / area of cultivation.

Encourage the creation of woodland as part of new housing and transport infrastructure development where appropriate.

Principal services offered by opportunities –

• Climate regulation
• Sense of place/inspiration

Assets/attributes: main contributors to service –

• Shingle beaches
• Sea defence measures
• Ditches, drains and wetland

State – Much of the coastline consists of a shingle upper beach and a sandy lower foreshore. Coastal shingle is in a constant state of change from natural sediment processes. Eastbourne’s main defence against the sea is the shingle bank.

94 timber groynes run along Eastbourne’s coastline from Holywell to Langney Point.

A concrete seawall, providing secondary protection, runs along the landward side of the beach from Holywell to the Fishing Station.

Additional rock revetments have been installed to protect vulnerable sections.

Pevensey Bay sea defences protect a 50 km2 area including Pevensey Bay, Normans Bay, Langney, Westham and parts of Pevensey itself. Within this area there are more than 10,000 properties, recreational and commercial sites, vital transport links and wetlands of international importance.

The wetlands themselves provide an additional line of flood defence, both as a natural buffer and as a result of active management in the form of embankments and dykes.

Main beneficiary – Regional

Analysis – ‘Hold the Line’ is the long-term policy for this stretch of coast. This is likely eventually to result in almost complete loss of the area’s beaches to coastal squeeze, although ongoing defences are essential to maintaining the existence of the NCA.

Shingle is an excellent absorber of wave energy and is restrained from excessive movement along the beach (littoral drift) by the groynes.

Eastbourne’s ageing coastal protection was replaced in the 1990s.

Future defences will be managed as open beach with periodic shingle replenishments, the maintenance of strategic groynes, recycling of material around the beach and re-profiling during and after storms.

It may not be possible to provide sea defences that will survive in the longer term and costs will increase as sea levels continue to rise and in the face of more and fiercer storms or a change in their directions.

The character of the area is a product of centuries of management of flood defences, both along the coast and within the Levels.

Opportunities – Reflect the priorities of the shoreline management plan and promote the natural adaptation and regeneration of coastal habitats as sea levels rise.

Find ways of assimilating new or reinforced flood defences into local landscapes with minimum visual impact and disruption to existing habitat or species movement.

Prevent aggregate extraction which would reduce the effectiveness of the sea defences.

Discourage activities that may compromise the flood protection abilities of wetland behind the coastal defences.

Principal services offered by opportunities –

• Regulating coastal erosion and flooding

Assets/attributes: main contributors to service –

• Rivers Ditches Fen
• Permanent pasture
• Water treatment works

State – For information regarding the current state of water quality within this NCA, refer to the Environment Agency (Draft river basin management plan maps).

Main beneficiary – Regional

Analysis – The area suffers from sedimentation due to runoff from the legacy of past intensification and the main land uses of maize, stockfeed, cereals and extensive beef and sheep / grassland. There are problems from metaldehyde from slug pellets on the arable land. Much pollution originates outside the NCA.

Non-native invasive species, particularly floating pennywort, are a major problem.

Supply to the Pevensey Havens is affected by water quality problems associated with two waste water treatment works at Hailsham, despite recent improvements.

These treatment works presently have 200 houses headroom which has been met.

A joint project between Environment Agency and Natural England has identified where Pennywort is on the SSSI, assessed how it can be treated with the minimum possible negative environmental impact on the site and put in place funded control programme to commence Autumn 2013.

Opportunities – Support incentives such as agri- environment schemes which provide significant opportunities to improve sites and deliver multiple benefits. Seek opportunities to create extensive wet grassland to contribute to resource protection under the Catchment Sensitive Farming initiative.

Encourage reduced fertiliser inputs on cultivated soils by ensuring Government guidelines (Nitrate Vulnerable Zone regulations) are followed by farmers and land managers, not only in Pevensey Levels but also in adjacent NCAs which supply much of the area’s fresh water.

Work to eradicate non-native invasive species, particularly along riverbanks and promote awareness of the importance of biosecurity, particularly in areas of heavy public usage, to prevent their spread.

Promote biosecurity awareness by publicising initiatives such as “Check, Clean, Dry”.

Support initiatives to reduce pollutants such as improvements to water treatment systems.

Principal services offered by opportunities –

• Regulating water quality
• Biodiversity
• Regulating soil quality
• Recreation

Assets/attributes: main contributors to service –

• Ditches and drains
• Eastbourne Park
• Floodplains

State – The majority of the NCA is at high risk from flooding, including
heavily-populated areas within Eastbourne.

Water moves around the Pevensey Levels via network of ditches.

Water levels are controlled by a series of pumping stations and sluices installed in the 1960s and 1970s for the benefit of agriculture and conservation. In many of the ditches water can flow in either direction.

In addition to the natural input, seven sewage treatment works discharge into the Pevensey Levels.

Pevensey Levels Ramsar site is for the rare ditch ecology which is water dependent.

Eastbourne Park is a flat, low-lying landscape of approximately 400 ha of grazed wetland. Its primary role is flood storage, mitigating the effects on flooding on the surrounding built environment.

Main beneficiary – Regional

Analysis – Since the early 1990s, a mechanism has been in place by which the effect of new developments on flood levels is compensated for through the construction of additional flood storage (lakes) in Eastbourne Park. Eastbourne Park has two main hydrological functions. It allows the passage of water from many streams off the nearby South Downs and Low Weald, to the outfalls at Pevensey Bay and Princes Park where it reaches the sea. It also allows the storage of flood water at peak surface water flows and during high tide locked conditions The Catchment Flood Management Plan and Shoreline Management Plan for Pevensey Bay to Eastbourne with respect to tidal flooding is that of ‘hold the line’ for the next 100 years.

The low hydraulic conductivity of clay soils has resulted in the installation of under-drainage in parts of the Pevensey Levels where arable agriculture has taken place. Between 1976 and 1978, the area of the Pevensey Levels under-drained increased from 120 ha to more than 500 ha.The hydrology is dominated by the dynamics of the relationship between stream inflow, rainfall, outflow to the sea and evapotranspiration. Groundwater movement is less important, since a layer of clay effectively isolates the Levels from the underlying chalk aquifer.

The water level management plan for Pevensey Levels SSSI aims to keep water levels constant (about half a metre below ditch shoulder) all year around.

Water from the sewage treatment works can account for significant proportions of water inputs to the wetland, particularly during dry summers. Contributions from these sources are an import to the hydrological system, water having originated in the Arlington Reservoir, in the catchment of the Cuckmere River but are often associated with water quality problems, despite recent and ongoing improvements.

Eastbourne Park Compensatory Flood Storage Scheme is likely to require expansion to attenuate the increase in runoff that is expected to arise as a result of climate change and planned development.

Opportunities – The Catchment Flood Management Plan notes that the Pevensey Levels floodplain is pumped into the local drainage network and as such the capacity of this flood storage area is not fully utilised.

Ensure that proposals for Eastbourne Park do not reduce its effectiveness as a flood storage and mitigation area.

Investigate flow restrictions and set up a programme to make sure the channel has sufficient capacity; encourage sustainable land use practices to reduce run-off rates from agricultural land.

Work with partners to develop a strategy plan for river restoration and naturalisation, with the objectives of reducing run-off and contributing to wider catchment benefits.

Manage water bodies, including ditches, to increase structural diversity which will help to retain winter floodwater for longer and provide refuges for species vulnerable to inundation events.

Encourage agricultural practices that build up organic matter and reduce the risk of soil compaction and thus improving water infiltration.

Find ways of assimilating new or reinforced flood defences into local landscapes with minimum visual impact and disruption to existing habitat or species movement.

Ensure that sustainable urban drainage systems are incorporated into new and existing development.

Principal services offered by opportunities –

• Regulating water flow
• Biodiversity
• Regulating water quality

Assets/attributes: main contributors to service –

• Water management systems
• Rivers and ditches
• Clay soils
• Permanent pasture

State – Water on the Levels is artificially managed through a series of sluices and drainage systems.

Loamy and clayey soils of coastal flats with naturally high groundwater cover 54 percent of the NCA; with smaller areas of slowly permeable seasonally wet slightly acid but base-rich loamy and clayey soils, slightly acid loamy and clayey soils with impeded drainage and freely draining lime-rich loamy soils.

Reflecting the vulnerability of the soils, Pevensey is one of Defra’s Catchment Sensitive Farming initiatives.

Main beneficiary – Local

Analysis – The marine and estuarine alluvium sediments have given rise to the present day loamy and clayey soils.

Soil quality depends heavily on water management in this NCA. Locally some soils are saline and at risk of structural damage where drained.

The loamy and clayey soils have a naturally high groundwater, are moderately fertile and a have a high agricultural potential but this is dependent on the continued ability to pump drain and protect the soils from sea flooding/saline intrusion

Where there is a high silt/fine sand content compaction and/or capping may be an issue which may be reduced by increasing soil organic matter content.

Slightly acid loamy and clayey soils with impeded drainage (10 percent) are easily poached by livestock and compacted by machinery when the soil is wet. Weak topsoil structures can easily be damaged. Careful timing of activities is required to reduce the likelihood of soil compaction.

Opportunities – Maintenance of the integrity of the hydrological system in this NCA will contribute to maintaining and improving soil quality.

Encourage creation of significant areas of attractive wetlands with restoration and further expansion of reed beds and wet grassland both on the Levels and as part of sustainable urban drainage systems within the Eastbourne area.

Encourage the reinstatement of permanent pasture from arable to reduce erosion and need for artificial fertilizer.

Encourage reduced fertiliser inputs on cultivated soils by ensuring Government guidelines (Nitrate Vulnerable Zone regulations) are followed by farmers and land managers.

Encourage best practice farming methods to reduce agricultural run-off. Such measures may include; the use of shallow cultivation techniques; maintenance of ditches and associated control structures; reinstatement of permanent pasture and introduction of grassland margins to arable fields.

Work with landowners, the Internal Drainage Board and others to maintain high water levels, particularly in areas with soils with high peat content, to avoid desiccation and oxidisation.

Seek and realise opportunities to improve farm infrastructure, particularly the location of feeders and drinkers, and the use of droves and farm tracks, to minimise localised compaction and, or poaching.

Principal services offered by opportunities –

• Regulating soil quality
• Regulating water quality
• Regulating water flow
• Recreation
• Sense of place/inspiration
• Biodiversity

Assets/attributes: main contributors to service –

• Clay soils
• Permanent pasture
• Sea defences

State – The loamy and clayey soils of the Levels are at low risk of soil erosion although they are increasingly under threat from flooding, including sea level rise.

Main beneficiary – Local

Analysis – Consideration given to the regulation of soil erosion has historically been low, although it is now recognised as a problem within the Defra Catchment Sensitive Farming Priority Catchment in the area. Parts of the area suffer from damaged soil structure, notably compaction and impeded drainage, which accelerates run-off. This leads to increased erosion rates and sedimentation of watercourses. Exposed peat soils are also highly vulnerable to both wind and water erosion.

The impact of predicted climate change (particularly increased rainfall intensity on bare arable soils and lengthy water-logging of grassland), increases the potential for soil damage.

Livestock can cause significant soil erosion along the edges of ditches and dykes with a subsequent decline in water quality.

Opportunities – Encourage the reinstatement of permanent pasture from arable to help reduce erosion problems.

Encourage agricultural practices that build up organic matter and reduce the risk of soil compaction and thus improving water infiltration.

Work with farmers and horse owners to ensure that livestock numbers are appropriate to prevent problems associated with over-grazing.

Seek and realise opportunities to improve farm infrastructure, particularly the location of feeders and drinkers, and the use of droves and farm tracks, to minimise localised compaction and, or poaching.

Principal services offered by opportunities –

• Regulating soil erosion
• Regulating water quality
• Regulating water flow

Assets/attributes: main contributors to service –

• Parks and gardens
• Allotments
• Meadows
• Verges

State – Pollinating insects are generally supported by a range of semi-natural habitats, in particular species rich grasslands.

Interstitial habitats (such as the edges of farm tracks and ditches and dykes) that remain in the spaces between crops are also key sources of both pollen and nectar for insects that pollinate commercial arable crops.

Main beneficiary – Local

Analysis – Increases in habitat for pollinators such as creation of areas of semi-natural habitat, hedgerow improvement and increases in field margins will increase the delivery of this service. These measures would create important corridors and habitat mosaics for pollinator species. A strong pollinator population supports production of a wider variety of food products and supports food production in the future.

Opportunities – Work with, local authorities and parishes to create multi-functional green spaces incorporating sympathetic management for pollination including appropriate management of road verges into cutting regimes, adding to the network of nectar sources close to pollinated food crops.

Increase the area of semi-natural habitats, with particular emphasis on floodplain grazing marsh.

Principal services offered by opportunities –

• Pollination

Assets/attributes: main contributors to service –

• Sea
• South Downs

State – Bounded by sea to south and the Downs to the west, the west of the area is within the Dutch Elm Disease Control Zone.

Main beneficiary – National

Analysis – The geographical position, protected from prevailing winds by the largely treeless Downs to the west and the sea to the south, plus early vigilance by authorities, has enabled the Eastbourne area to retain much of its mature elm population and may also help the fight against new tree pests and diseases.

Opportunities – Support the East Sussex Elm Protection Scheme and other measures to control tree diseases and pests.

Principal services offered by opportunities –

• Pest regulation
• Biodiversity
• Sense of place/inspiration
• Sense of history

Assets/attributes: main contributors to service –

• Sea views
• Downland backdrop
• Historic buildings
• Remote wetland landscape
• Seaside resorts
• Shingle beaches

State – The geographical location; low-lying with sweeping views along the coast, framed within the hills of the South Downs and High Weald, make this NCA a source of historical and continued inspiration.

Main beneficiary – Regional

Analysis – Artist Eric Ravilious lived in Eastbourne and often used local scenes for inspiration. The Towner Art Gallery in Eastbourne has a large collection of his work.

Debussy completed his masterpiece, La Mer (The Sea) in Eastbourne in 1905 and the coastal views remain a source of inspiration for modern artists.

Some farms on the Levels offer educational opportunities and some schools within the NCA have developed imaginative methods to inspire interest in the natural world such as creation of wildlife areas and Forest Schools (West Rise Junior School).

Opportunities – Protect the open, exposed character of the low-lying wetland landscape, with its strong sense of remoteness and wide open views to the coast, South Downs and High Weald.

Conserve the distinctive irregular field boundary network of drainage ditches and banks to enhance cultural heritage and sense of place.

Promote interpretation to ensure that visitors and local people are aware of the key interest features of the shingle areas.

Encourage local schools to participate in environmental education opportunities and create wildlife habitat areas.

Principal services offered by opportunities –

• Sense of place/inspiration
• Recreation
• Sense of history
• Biodiversity

Assets/attributes: main contributors to service –

• Reclaimed land with historic drainage patterns and sea defences
• Salt-making mounds
• Historic defensive buildings
• 188 listed buildings and Scheduled Monuments
• Seaside resorts

State – Much of the area was under water until relatively recently.

The area was important for salt-making.

The area is strategically important and has evidence of continuous construction of defensive structures.

Scheduled Monuments include Shinewater bronze- age site, designated in 2012.

Traditional buildings are of brick and flint, sometimes weather-boarded, typically with plain clay tile roofs.

There are few pre-1750 farmstead buildings. Seaside architecture ranges from Eastbourne’s Victorian seafront to small-scale resorts along the coast.

Main beneficiary – National

Analysis – The entire landscape of the Levels maps the reclamation work started by local religious houses in the Middle Ages. The relative permanence of the ditches and the continued pastoral use makes parts of this landscape a remarkable survival of a medieval field system in a lowland context. Some drainage channels and sea defences are relatively unchanged since medieval times.

From at least Saxon times, the area was important for salt-making and low mounds on the otherwise flat landscape of the Levels are usually remnants of this industry.

There are many important historic defensive structures, from the Roman “Saxon Shore Fort” of Pevensey Castle to Napoleonic structures such as the Redoubt Fortress in Eastbourne.

Martello towers 64 and 66 are on English Heritage’s At Risk Register. Tower 65 had collapsed into the sea by 1938. The views to and from Tower 66 and other towers in the chain demonstrate their role as a defensive chain and the intention to deny safe landing places to attackers. Their settings therefore are critical in understanding the historical context of these buildings.

Scheduled Monuments include the deserted medieval village at Northeye and the bronze-age site discovered during creation of Shinewater Park in the 1990s. On the Levels, archaeological features are often within arable land on higher ground so these need to be protected from inappropriate practices such as deep ploughing.

Traditional farm buildings tend to feature local bricks and flint with occasional weatherboarding or hung tiles and tiled roofs.

The seafront at Eastbourne is essentially Victorian/ Edwardian, being protected for many years by clauses in the lease from the Duke of Devonshire preventing “inappropriate” development. Eastbourne’s Grade II* Victorian pier was designed by Eugenius Birch and compliments the fine hotels which grace the promenade. Along the coast, smaller towns like Pevensey Bay have more jaunty small-scale seaside resort architecture.

Opportunities – Conserve the historic landscape features such as evidence of early reclamation, early sea defences such as the 14th century “Crooked Ditch” and mounds left by the salt-making industry.

Ensure that development does not undermine the fragile structure of surviving Martello towers and preserves their settings.

Ensure that land management activities such as ditch clearing and ploughing do not damage important historic features, for example by paying due regard to findings of the Northeye Report (Northeye, Pevensey Levels, East Sussex Geoarchaeological Assessment Report, C Champness, 2009).

As much of the Shinewater bronze-age site remains unexcavated, there is much potential for research and discovery. Support continued research and promotion of the site through interpretation and education.

Principal services offered by opportunities –

• Sense of history
• Recreation
• Sense of place/inspiration

Assets/attributes: main contributors to service –

• Wetland landscape
• Parks
• Coast

State – Tranquillity is associated with the large area of grazing marsh away from the urban areas of Eastbourne, Hailsham and Bexhill and the A259.

The amount of land classed as “urban” has increased steadily since the 1960s to 19 percent in 2007.

Main beneficiary – Regional

Analysis – Longer term, the decline in tranquillity will continue. Traffic levels are likely to increase and expansive development around the main centres of population (Eastbourne, Hailsham and Bexhill) will have an impact. The amount of urban land is also likely to increase further in the future.

Opportunities – Incorporate measures into new development that integrates green and open space to enhance and extend the network of existing undisturbed and tranquil places.

Realise opportunities to introduce greenspace, and particularly tree planting, into existing developments to buffer and minimise the effects of noise and light pollution.

Support appropriate and sensitive native tree and shrub planting schemes along the perimeter of Eastbourne Park for the benefit of biodiversity and to preserve tranquillity within the Park.

Principal services offered by opportunities –

• Tranquillity

Assets/attributes: main contributors to service –

• Coastline
• Cycle routes
• Ditches and wetlands
• Parks
• Heritage assets
• Sports facilities

State – The NCA falls between large population centres of Bexhill-on-Sea to the east and Eastbourne to the west. 3 percent is classed as publicly accessible and there are 113 km of public rights of way within the NCA.

National Cycle Route 21 runs between Pevensey and south London.

Large main drainage channels support an important coarse fishery.

Around 4.8 million people visit Eastbourne each year.

There are 64 ha of public sports pitches

Main beneficiary – Regional

Analysis – Walking (including dog walking) and horse riding occur on the many public footpaths and bridleways.

There is a golf course on the south-east corner of the NCA.

As well as the National Cycle Route, the roads within the site are used for recreational cycling. Two fields are used for the flying of radio-controlled model aircraft under time-limited conditions. The Wallers Haven is occasionally used for rowing training by a local school. All the major havens are used for angling.

Eastbourne’s economy is strongly influenced by tourism, with over 10 percent of local jobs in this sector. The strongest employment growth has been in the sports, arts and leisure activities sector. Tourism contributes an estimated £336 million to the local economy (2010).

The importance of environment-enhancing features such as open greenspace for the local population and to attract businesses and tourists is recognised and initiatives include promotion of health benefits of outdoor activities such as walking.

Pevensey Castle is a popular tourist destination.

The Health Improvement Partnership identified ‘Promotion of Healthy Lifestyles’ as one of three local priorities. The objective is: “To increase the health of the people in Eastbourne through access to physical activity, healthy lifestyle awareness-raising, and encouragement of family friendly/work life balance policies within the workplace.”

More than half of Eastbourne residents say they visit natural areas such as beaches, parks, downland at least once a month mostly for recreational such as a ‘gentle walk’, ‘active leisure’ and ‘informal sport’ (Health Improvement & Modernisation Programme 2003 to 2005, Eastbourne Health Improvement Partnership).

Opportunities – Maximise the recreational benefits provided by the coastline, particularly the feelings of tranquillity provided by the shoreline. During the development of coastal access, ensure that the area is protected from damage resulting from excessive recreational pressure (for example by the development of a strategy for public access management).

Support well planned green infrastructure to provide sustainable access routes that enhance community safety, foster community cohesion and contribute to physical and mental health.

Support measures to strengthen sustainable travel networks to improve access from Eastbourne to adjacent natural resources such as the South Downs National Park.

Link public footpaths, cycle paths, settlements and long distance paths, especially on higher ground to reduce impact of rising water levels.

Public greenspace within the urban area is seen as critical to commitments to maintain and enhance Eastbourne’s reputation as a thriving seaside resort and healthy place to live and work so there are opportunities to create new areas as part of ongoing development.

Ensure that measures to improve access to Eastbourne Park are sensitive to the needs of agriculture and wildlife and minimize potential hazards created by the many water bodies.

Principal services offered by opportunities –

• Recreation
• Tranquillity
• Sense of place/inspiration
• Sense of history

Assets/attributes: main contributors to service –

• Ramsar site SSSI
• Eastbourne Park
• Elms Coast
• Allotments

State – 37 percent of the NCA is designated SSSI and Ramsar site.

The ditches on the SSSI feature 70 percent of native aquatic plants.

Eastbourne Park is a 400 ha newly-created grazed wetland area within Eastbourne.

The Dutch Elm Disease Control Zone falls within the NCA.

The shingle beach extends along the entire length of the NCA, punctuated by development and sea defences.

There is over 15 ha of allotment land within Eastbourne.

Main beneficiary – International

Analysis – Pevensey Levels was one of only two places where the fen raft spider was found until recent programmes to re-introduce it on other sites. It is also home to the lesser whirlpool ramshorn snail and many other rare invertebrates. It is particularly rich in damselflies and dragonflies and is one of the main local sites for the variable damselfly.

Though breeding bird populations on the Levels declined since the land was drained in the 1960s, improved management has recently seen some positive results. It is still an important wintering site and supports small breeding populations of farmland birds such as lapwing.

Eastbourne Park contains an ancient landscape that was formerly marshland interconnected with Pevensey Levels. Although newly-established, it has already attracted a number of rare species associated with the Pevensey Levels including shining ram’s- horn snail, the nationally threatened valve snail Valvata macrostoma and nationally rare great silver diving beetle. It also supports species which are declining elsewhere in Sussex such as reed warbler, reed bunting and sedge warbler. There are breeding lapwing and large numbers of over-wintering snipe. It is the only known site in Sussex for fen pondweed.

The white-letter hairstreak butterfly is relatively common in the area due to the presence of elms.

The Crumbles area in Eastbourne formerly contained an extensive area of vegetated shingle, but this was developed for residential housing. Although fragments of the original resource remain, none of the Crumbles resource received any formal designation and all the best areas have been destroyed. Two areas are protected: Prince William Parade SNCI and Sovereign Harbour Beaches.

The Eastbourne Biodiversity Assessment (2007) states that allotments provide important foraging areas and places to live for many protected species.

Opportunities – Encourage the reinstatement of permanent pasture from arable to help extend and link wetland habitats.

Encourage best practice farming methods to reduce use of pesticides and fertilizers and reduce agricultural run-off.

There are significant opportunities to improve sites and deliver multiple benefits through incentives such as agri-environment schemes, for example by raising water levels and creating new features for wading birds.

Work to establish new areas of reed beds and wet meadows. The encouragement of seasonal inundation in appropriate areas should be considered.

Maintain water levels in ditches and encourage appropriate dredging regimes to maintain optimum conditions.

Support local farmers to build on recent improvements and work towards restoring the Pevensey Levels Important Bird Area status.

Support measures to maintain and enhance hydrological links between Eastbourne Park and Pevensey Levels, encouraging movement of key species while promoting vigilance against spread of non-native invasives.

Consider designation of the areas of Eastbourne Park that have the highest biodiversity value, particularly supporting Eastbourne Borough Council’s aspiration to create a Local Nature Reserve within the West Langney sector.

Support the creation of a management forum or group representing all interested parties (including landowners and other stakeholders) to promote and achieve the vision and objectives for Eastbourne Park.

Support appropriate and sensitive native tree and shrub planting schemes along the perimeter of Eastbourne Park for the benefit of biodiversity and to preserve tranquillity within the Park.

Support control of Dutch elm disease and encourage research initiatives to prevent infection and breed resistant strains.

Support measures to maintain and extend protected areas of vegetated shingle, such as at the landfill site at the Sovereign Harbour site.

Support increases in allotment provision and seek to ensure that allotment management provides long term benefits for biodiversity.

Principal services offered by opportunities –

• Biodiversity
• Sense of place/inspiration
• Regulating watr quality
• Regulating soil quality
• Regulating water flow
• Regulating soil erosion

Assets/attributes: main contributors to service –

• Clay soils
• Shingle beach

State – A predominantly low-lying region, dominated by heavy clay soils, but with bedrock of thin bands of calcareous limestone (the Paludina beds) and beds of sandstone (Hastings beds) with periglacial sandy head deposits.

Shingle beaches along the coast were formed by dynamic littoral processes and now form the major sea defence for the area.

Main beneficiary – Local

Analysis – The formation of the levels is dominated by the changing relationship between land and sea. The Levels themselves are a complex inter-bedded sequence of alluvial clays and peat. The peat layer is of variable thickness and fragmented in nature. It is generally overlain by at least one and a half metres of clay. The soils developed upon these substrates are described as “deep stoneless, mainly calcareous clayey soils of the Newchurch Series of the Wallasea sub-group” (British Geological Survey, 1987).

Erosion of shingle beaches is widespread and these are constantly managed to maintain the sea defences. . Climate change is likely to make this unsustainable in future and it may be necessary to resort to hard engineering solutions, resulting in associated loss of shingle beaches.

Flints from the beach were, until recently, widely used as building materials, both as whole stones and knapped.

Historically Eastbourne Greensand was quarried and used locally and can be seen in some of the older buildings and part of the original sea wall but there is no visible evidence of the medieval quarry remaining. There were also brickworks around the northern edge, notably in Hailsham but generally building materials were sourced from the Weald (clay and wood) or the South Downs (chalk).

Opportunities – Coastal defence plans should have regard for geological and geomorphological interests where possible.

There should be no aggregate extraction which would affect sensitive geomorphological and coastal sediment processes.

Principal services offered by opportunities –

• Geodiversity