Demo & Visioning for Positive Climate & Ecological Change
Hove Town Hall, Norton Road, BN3 2
MEET AT 3PM ON THURSDAY 16TH JANUARY OUTSIDE HOVE TOWN HALL TO ASK BHCC COUNCILLORS TO SHARE OUR VISION
At the The Tourism, Equalities and Culture Committee (TECC) meeting, which starts at 4pm, Extinction Rebellion Brighton representatives will present our petition and submit a deputation about our vision for the future of the golf course. Outside we will be a colourful and positive presence with drummers, banners and more.
Hollingbury and Waterhall's publicly owned golf courses support threatened Downland wildlife and have huge potential to be enhanced by ecological restoration. Golf usage has fallen steeply, their current leases are up for renewal in March 2020, and new commercial options are being considered.
The future of these three sites will be considered by the BHCC Tourism, Equalities, Communities and Culture Committee meeting on 16th January at 4pm.
We will be there with a colourful and positive XR demonstration with drummers, banners and masks depicting declining/ locally extinct wildlife species.
We will request the council to pause, consult and assess (in line with expert advice from the Brighton Downs Alliance) to find ways to choose climate and ecological action over ‘business as usual’
See our petition here https://tinyurl.com/restore-wildlife and don't forget to sign it before midnight on the 15th January. Then ask 10 people to do the same!
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What are we campaigning for?
The leases of both Hollingbury and Waterhall golf courses expire in March 2020. Brighton and Hove City Council's Tourism, Equalities and Culture Committee (TECC) will meet on 16 January 2020 to review tenders, with a view to granting a 25 year lease.
Extinction Rebellion Brighton urge TECC to take this unique, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to ensure that the internationally endangered, wildlife-rich and diverse chalk grassland ecosystems of the two sites can re-generate and flourish, and that eco-friendly community food production and public health, wellbeing and recreational activities are promoted. We ask that they:
- ‘Pause’ for sufficient time to carefully consider the future of Hollingbury and Waterhall golf courses
- Undertake a full public consultation with all stakeholders, and
- Assess the environmental resources of the two sites before committing to any long-term business arrangements.
We'd like Brighton Council to consider the following vision for this land and to bear in mind their own recent declaration of a climate and ecological emergency. We ask BHCC - what is your plan?
ECOLOGICAL-RESTORATION Conserving the internationally rare chalk grassland ecosystem and its many extraordinary and declining species.
Creation of bio-diverse habitats that assists in carbon draw-down.
COMMUNITY AGRICULTURE – promoting involvement of local food production and land restoration projects which promote food security and democratic control of our food supply.
PUBLIC ACCESS - designate our down-land wherever possible as Statutory Access Land for re connection with nature, and to help protect against future building development.
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Join us in encouraging the council to do the right thing - take part in our other two actions Saturday 1th of Jan Demonstrate for the Downs https://www.facebook.com/events/2792366717482070/ and Sunday 12th of Jan for Mega-bash / conservation working party at Whitehawk Hill https://www.facebook.com/events/505665640046516/