The way the Hastings Borough Council manages Hastings Country Park and Fairlight Place Farm is changing. This area sets out how, and tries to answer some key questions.
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Some parts of our towns largest open space are designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest and a Special Area of Conservation. These wildlife designations mean the site is of national and international importance and we have legal obligations and responsibilities over its management.
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We've had sole responsibility for the farm (which is next to Hastings Country Park) since the tenant farmer left in 2000. We've no intention of selling the farm and, over the next ten years, we'll combine its management with that of Hastings Country Park for the benefit of wildlife and to improve access and interpretation around both sites.
We'll bring in cattle to graze some fields and turn others into wildflower meadows that complement the coastal habitat. These proposed changes represent the most ambitious land management and habitat restoration scheme ever seen in the town and we'll be starting work in October this year.
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The majority of Hastings Country Park is designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest and Special Area of Conservation. It's one of the most important sites for coastal habitats and species in Britain. We have a legal duty to manage the important wildlife and geological features so they're not damaged. Some habitats and species are so rare they occur nowhere else in Britain. Simply allowing nature to take over and risk losing rare habitats and species is not an option. Now that we've regained responsibility for Fairlight Place Farm, we'll be combining the management of the farmland with areas of the Country Park to gain the greatest possible benefits for the environment.
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There are a number of ways we want to improve Hastings Country Park and Fairlight Place Farm:
- Improve the site's major wildlife habitats
- Combine the management of Fairlight Place Farm, Hastings Country Park and the designated areas
- Make the area as accessible as possible to visitors
- Improve interpretation around Hastings Country Park
- Plan for a first class Visitor and Education Centre
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We'll get government help (Countryside Stewardship Grant Aid) from October 2004 and target the management of the farm and Warren Glen over the next ten years.
We'll work with an agricultural expert to make sure the farm is managed under the principles of the Countryside Stewardship Agreement.
We've increased the Hastings Country Park budget by an extra £10,000 and will invest over £200,000 in coming years.
We'll have a Management Plan that combines Hastings Country Park, Fairlight Place Farm and designated wildlife areas ready for public comment later this year.
We'll also employ a new Reserves Officer for three years (starting from October) to help achieve the improvements and promote the town's other nature reserves.
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Until we took the farm back, it was managed as an intensive dairy farm with little encouragement for wildlife.
With the Department of Environment Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) we've come up with a long-term management programme to encourage wildlife and bring the farm back into life. We'll sow the areas north of Barley Lane with arable crops in the Spring. We'll harvest the crop in the Autumn and leave the remaining stubble to create shelter and food for wild birds over the Winter. This will benefit small mammals and birds such as Yellowhammers, Skylarks, Stonechats and Barn Owls (which have made a comeback to the farm after a long absence).
We'll produce more wildflowers in the majority of the grass fields which might involve ploughing some fields and sowing a wildflower seed mixture. Livestock will then graze the majority of the farm.
One of the first things we'll have to do is fencing. Many of the fields will be fenced to keep cattle in and allow the management of the field to proceed safely. You might notice fencing in some new areas, especially around Warren Glen, but it's an essential part of our proposal.
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We're keen to promote the park and encourage both residents and visitors to enjoy its wonderful scenery and wildlife. Our long-term aim is to replace the existing Visitor Centre with a first class facility and we'll work with a range of funding partners to try and make this happen.
We'll install new signs and interpretation material around the park to keep people informed of changes and help promote its unique wildlife. The park has a large number of well-used footpaths which cross the site and take walkers to its every corner. We'll make sure current Rights of Way are kept open and we'll try to improve other links to the footpath network. Fairlight Place will be a working farm with grazing livestock and farm machinery so we need your co-operation in keeping to designated paths.
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For further information about the Country Park and Farm Management, please contact the Borough Ecologist.
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This page last updated: 26/11/2004