Land could be turned into salt marsh
A council is hoping to purchase a 45-acre farm and turn the land back into salt marsh.
Adur District Council is in advanced talks to buy Pad Farm in Lancing– a stretch of arable farmland on the western banks of the River Adur, north of the A27 – from current owner Ricardo.
It plans to encourage biodiversity at the site and strengthen its role in flood defence plans by turning it back into salt marsh.
Salt marshes are important habitats for many rare and unusual species of plants, birds and animals which have adapted to living in an environment that is regularly covered by tides.
They help protect the land around from flooding, in addition to being a natural source for capturing climatechanging carbon gases.
The purchase, due to cost around £324,000 in total, was approved by the council’s joint strategic committee last Tuesday.
Councillor Emma Evans, cabinet member for the environment, said the project ‘proves this council is taking the protection of our natural resources seriously’.
It came after the council announced plans to buy a 70acre piece of land, New Salts Farm, between Lancing and Shoreham, in September, to protect it from housing and return it to natural habitat.
Mrs Evans said: “We are working hard to strike a balance between creating much-needed new homes for people who want to live here and the protection of our environment, in particular the Adur estuary environment.
“These two large pieces of land will now be protected from development and add to our natural estuarine riches for generations to come.”
According to a council report, officers have reached initial agreement with Ricardo Plc to buy the piece of land.
The report notes that Adur has committed itself to a programme of climate change action and protecting natural habitat as well as declaring a climate emergency in 2019 and pledging to become a carbon neutral authority by 2030.
It also states that both Pad Farm and New Salts Farm could offer a net gain toward flood defence plans for the area, as the development of homes at the Western Harbour Arm has resulted in a small loss of mud flats.