124 - Pevensey Levels : Detailed Statements of Environmental Opportunity

This section expands on the Headline Statements of Environmental Opportunity and provides further detail on each of the Statements of Environmental Opportunity.

SEO 1

SEO 1: Manage and plan for change in the function of the network of watercourses, water management infrastructure and wetland habitats across the Levels to provide benefits in improved flood management, water and soil quality, viable agricultural futures and protection of sub-soil archaeology, and to increase the range and extent of habitats and species and their resilience to climate change.

For example by:

• Planning for the effects of climate change, such as changing water levels, sea level rise and drought, by working to maintain links and re-connect the Levels via ecological networks with surrounding areas, particularly Eastbourne Park, creating a permeable landscape in order to build biodiversity resilience and reduce risk from flooding.
• Encouraging the rotational management of drainage ditches which support important wetland birds and many rare species, enhancing the adaptation of this priority habitat to climate change, while also benefiting flood control and water quality.
• Identifying potential areas inland where additional habitats can be created to replace areas which may be lost owing to the impacts of sea level rise or coastal defence management.
• Protecting the pattern and function of drains, ditches, wetland habitats and wet grassland supporting characteristic populations of rare invertebrates and other biodiversity.
• Ensuring that water level management measures in Pevensey Levels Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) do not lead to increased flood risk to Eastbourne and Willingdon, parts of which drain along the Langney Haven discharging to the Salt Haven, just downstream of Pevensey Bridge.
• Supporting farmers and landowners to build on recent improvements and work towards restoring the Pevensey Levels Important Bird Area status through use of incentives such as agri-environment schemes, which include pest control options.
• Co-ordinating the control of invasive non-native species such as floating pennywort which clogs ditches and out-competes the designated flora for the benefit of biodiversity and regulating water quality and flow.
• Working with farmers, land managers, the Internal Drainage Boards and others to ensure that groundwater levels are maintained in order to prevent drying out and subsequent oxidisation. 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.
• Considering the restoration of traditional practices that further enhance the wetland environment, where appropriate, such as seasonal inundation of pasture which benefits biodiversity and also alleviates flooding, while retaining dry grassland areas throughout winter, in mosaic with flooded areas, as refuges for invertebrates.
• Identifying areas for the creation of additional wetland habitats using the ecosystem services approach to develop wider understanding of the operation of natural processes, for example reedbeds which assist nutrient filtration to improve water quality, thereby contributing to outcomes required by the Water Framework Directive while creating priority habitat.
• Ensuring that new development includes water-saving measures and incorporates sustainable urban drainage systems to manage surface water drainage and provide wetland creation opportunities to benefit biodiversity.

SEO 2

SEO 2: Manage and enhance the distinctive character of the open, low-lying Pevensey Levels landscape and its heritage features such as medieval farmstead sites, boundaries and relics of the salt making industry, benefiting landscape character, tranquillity, and sense of place and history.

For example by:

• Conserving the distinctive irregular field boundary network of drainage ditches and banks to enhance cultural heritage and sense of place.
• Maintaining the strong sense of tranquillity, wildness and remoteness, traditional grazing and distinctive views to the English Channel and South Downs – an undeveloped, pastoral landscape underpinned by a viable agricultural community and economy.
• Preserving for future interpretation the area’s archaeological resources, historic features and geological interests from damage and loss, directly and by maintaining high groundwater levels, reducing soil desiccation and further benefiting wetland ecology.
• Increasing and disseminating the understanding of the relationship between past human activities in this much modified landscape and the response by wild native species that has produced the rich diversity of flora, fauna and habitats found today, and using this understanding to work in partnership to plan for a more robust future for the natural environment.
• Encouraging localised tree planting using appropriate species to screen development such as caravan parks and modern farm buildings in order to maintain the remote, exposed character of the Levels.
• Conserving and promoting historic features, including the Martello towers along the coast, Pevensey Castle, buried features such as the medieval village at Northeye and the distinctive mounds of old salt works.
• Encouraging the repair of traditional buildings in suitable materials, and using an understanding of local architecture, its forms and materials (predominantly brick and flint, with occasional weatherboarding or hung tiles) to inspire sustainable new development in order to help to maintain a sense of local distinctiveness.
• Working with partners and the planning system to discourage excessive or inappropriate development within and on the edges of the SSSI.
• Improving sustainable transport links between main settlements and places of interest, encouraging people to visit sites beyond environmentally sensitive areas.

SEO 3

SEO 3: Safeguard and manage the shingle beaches and coastline features that maintain the existence of the NCA and its associated habitats and species, benefiting protection against coastal erosion and flooding, biodiversity, sense of place and history, and geodiversity.

For example by:

• Maintaining the flood defences along the coast in accordance with the Shoreline Management Plan (Baseline Processes, SE Coastal Group).
• Identifying and communicating effectively flood risk scenarios resulting from different coastal change models to inform risk and asset management strategies and planning.
• Working in partnership to study and better understand the sediment dynamics and geomorphology of the coastline in order to continue to plan for the most effective and beneficial development of natural coastal defences.
• Supporting the creation of a coastal conservation and improvement plan to enhance the visual quality of the coastline.
• Seeking to maintain and extend protected areas of vegetated shingle and exploring the potential for creating compensation habitats in other areas where stretches of shingle beach (including The Crumbles at Eastbourne) are lost to coastal squeeze by protecting areas of shingle for vegetation to flourish.
• Discouraging aggregate extraction which would affect sensitive geomorphological and coastal sediment processes that help to preserve the shingle beaches which form the major flood defences for the NCA.
• Developing beach management strategies that adequately address flood risk while recognising the leisure and amenity uses of the coast.
• Realising benefits for habitat expansion and species resulting from coastal management initiatives in line with management objectives for the Special Area of Conservation and Ramsar designations, including the creation of saline lagoons.

SEO 4

SEO 4: Plan for the creation of a strong landscape framework associated with the identified future growth of Eastbourne, Hailsham and Bexhill and along the A22 corridor. Manage and enhance access to green space within the area, balancing recreational provision with nature conservation, and ensure that Eastbourne’s surviving population of mature elms is protected.

For example by:

• Creating and maintaining areas of quality, multifunctional natural green space that link into the heart of urban areas as part of a comprehensive network of planned multifunctional green infrastructure, providing a local recreational resource for the wellbeing of local communities and alleviating pressure on the wider landscape, as well as benefiting biodiversity, landscape and water regulation, and climate change adaptation.
• Ensuring that development proposals in Eastbourne include appropriate schemes linking into the green infrastructure network, to enhance existing landscape features and deliver environmental improvements in order to maintain the town’s attractive green environment for the wellbeing of residents and to attract visitors and new growth.
• Creating significant areas of attractive wetlands that form part of Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems within Eastbourne and new development at Polegate.
• Ensuring that development seeks to enhance biodiversity through the inclusion of wildlife needs in design, and ensuring that any unavoidable impacts are appropriately mitigated.
• Considering the undertaking of a detailed landscape assessment agreed by partners and stakeholders to identify significant landscape elements as a framework for exploring future options.
• Ensuring that the effects of development and its associated infrastructure (including light, noise and air pollution) have minimal impact on the remote rural landscape of Pevensey Levels or the special qualities of the adjacent South Downs National Park and High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
• Supporting the development of Eastbourne Park as an ecological, archaeological and leisure resource to benefit residents and visitors, including interpretation of the wetlands to increase awareness and enhance enjoyment; and ensuring that future plans do not compromise the area’s importance for flood mitigation, biodiversity and heritage value.
• Working to create a cohesive network of sustainable access for a wide range of users by maintaining and enhancing existing rights of way, creating new permissive access that connects the area’s major settlements to the wider landscape, including the South Downs, and attracting people away from environmentally sensitive areas.
• Supporting a ‘Green Network Plan’ for Eastbourne, creating environmental interpretive focal points in parks and gardens and natural areas, taking into account links with neighbouring green space in the South Downs National Park, Pevensey Levels and south Wealden.
• Supporting and promoting measures outlined in the Dutch Elm Disease Control Zone strategy and encouraging research initiatives to prevent infection and breed resistant strains of elm.