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Picnic protesters call on Government to save wildlife site from the plough
10 August 1997
Meet at Offham Church, Offham just off the A275, north of Lewes at 2pm (map attached).
A protest picnic will be held at one of the country's most valuable wildlife sites [1] on Sunday 10 August at 2pm to try and prevent its destruction by a local farmer who wants to plough it up. The site contains valuable habitat for the declining Common frog and Common toad. FOE is calling on the Government to honour the Prime Minister's pre-election pledge to prevent such a "crazy situation" ever happening [2].
The protest, organised by Friends of the Earth and local environmental groups, is taking place because a local farmer, Justin Harmer, wants to plough part of Offham Marshes Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), near Lewes, East Sussex - which he owns - to earn farming subsidies. An agreement between the farmer and English Nature not to damage the site expires in two weeks time.
Earlier this year the same farmer partially ploughed another SSSI less than a mile away before the then Environment Secretary, John Gummer, intervened by placing a Nature Conservation Order (NCO) on the site following repesentations from Friends of the Earth. Part of the site was then 'unploughed' by local people.
Friends of the Earth is calling on the Government to urgently issue a NCO to save the site and increase the protection of the country's top wildlife sites.
Matt Philips, Wildlife Campaigner at Friends of the Earth, said:
"Offham Marshes must be saved. We want Labour to honour its pre-election pledge by placing a Nature Conservation Order on this site so that taxpayers money is not spent destroying one of the UK's most important wildlife areas.
Every year hundreds of our best nature sites are destroyed or damaged. The law must be strengthened to ensure that they are given better protection."
NOTES TO EDITORS:
[1]Offham Marshes is situated in the River Ouse valley. It is formed by marshes grazed by cattle and intersected by drainage ditches. The elements of most interest on the site are the ditches which feature a rich assemblage of amphibians such as Common toad, Common frog,Smooth newt and Palmate newt. English Nature describes Offham Marshes as "one of the best sites in the country" for the Common toad. Aquatic wildflowers present include Water violet and Arrowhead. The site also features the UK's largest beetle - the rare Great silver beetle and the scarce Hairy dragonfly.
[2] At a General Election campaign rally at Sussex University on 15 April 1997, Tony Blair responded to questions about the ploughing at Offham Down by saying:
"You asked me about SSSIs and the crazy situation just near here where you've got a farmer being paid European Union money to effectively tear-up a place that's of particular scientific and natural interest. This is completely crazy. It's a crazy situation and I notice that Michael Meacher issued a statement a couple of days ago in which he said that if such a thing [the issue of a Nature Conservation Order] were not done by the Government, WE would, so this is prevented from happening. I think this is entirely the right thing to do. We certainly shouldn't be in the crazy situation when people are actually being paid money or a subsidy to damage the environment.That is foolish and we would not permit it to happen."
During the General Election campaign Labour pledged to close the flax loophole. Environment Minister Michael Meacher promised: "Labour will lead the campaign to reform the abuses that CAP causes and ensure that SSSIs are not damaged in the future". A copy of Mr Meacher's press release of 17 April 1997 outlining Labour's tough stance at Offham Down is available. Labour's manifesto included a commitment to improve protection of SSSIs.
If you're a journalist looking for press information please contact the Friends of the Earth media team on 020 7566 1649.
Published by Friends of the Earth Trust
Last modified: Dec 2008
