NEWS RELEASE

From the office of the South-East England’s Green MEP Caroline Lucas

For Immediate Release 

^{MEP BACKS TREETOP BID TO SAVE ANCIENT WOODS}

^{COUNCIL AND DEVELOPERS SHOULD GO ‘BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD’}

^{GREEN Party Euro-MP Caroline Lucas has given her support to a tree-top protest  that started on Sunday, 28 May 2006 to prevent the destruction of ancient woodland near Worthing, West Sussex.}

^{Dr Lucas said Worthing Council, the landowners and the developers should sit down with local environmentalists are look again at plans to build almost 900 homes in West Durrington.}

^{“The protest camp has struck a chord with nearby residents, who are fiercely opposed to the planned development and are frustrated at the lack of further official channels for fighting the proposals,” said Dr Lucas, Green Party MEP for South-East England.}

^{The South-East England Green Party MEP made her comments as some 20 environmentalists celebrated nearly two weeks in a makeshift camp at Titnore Woods. The protestors, who have now constructed a network of treehouses and a kitchen – with plans for a second camp in hand – have been overwhelmed by support from nearby residents and sympathy from the local, national and even international media.}

^{They are protesting against plans to build the ‘West Durrington development’, an 875-home estate which will destroy ancient woodland – including oaks and ashes – at Titnore Lane, West Durrington.}

^{The proposed development was granted planning permission by Worthing Council – despite more than 4,000 local residents signing a petition – delivered by Dr Lucas – opposed to the plan.}

^{Local environmentalists, who argue permission was granted on the basis of misleading information and in the face of water shortages and insufficient local infrastructure to support the estate’s projected population, decided to take to the trees after all ‘official’ channels for objection had been exhausted.}

^{The council argues there is a need for new housing, but local Greens argue we should make better use of existing sites before building homes in the countryside – especially such an important site. Pressure group Community Action for Empty Homes reckons there are seven empty homes for every homeless household in the UK. Locals have argued there are more than 1,000 empty homes in nearby Worthing alone.}

^{Titnore Woods are one of the final few remaining ancient woodlands in Sussex: one of only two surviving on the Sussex coastal plain and home to a number of protected species, including newts, bats, badgers, skylarks and corn buntings.}

^{A 2005 report by The Woodland Trust and WWF revealed that more than 100 of the country’s most important ancient woods are facing destruction.}

^{Dr Lucas added: “Over-development is one of the commonest causes of complaint I receive: people are sick of seeing acre after acre of countryside being lost to houses, roads and runways.}