Protestors in Telscombe call for action on rewilding the Tye

Over 60 residents of Telscombe, Peacehaven and Saltdean gathered on the Tye for the protest, along with local councillors and community activists.

Lisa Hinckley, a member of The Guardians of the Tye, said: “In order to bring the Tye back to life we need Stud Farm to adhere to a basic grazing management plan to rest the land by rotating their herd and leaving it to flower and set seed in the spring and summer months.

"It just doesn’t seem fair that this amazing Chalk Grassland is benefiting one business, the tenants of Stud Farm, and residents are fed up with what appears to be a deliberate standoff. We ask that the Farm work with Telscombe Town Council and Natural England so we can make the Tye a beautiful place to walk on, while respecting their rights to graze sheep sustainably.”

The tenants of Stud Farm, Telscombe Village, have commoners grazing rights to the whole of Telscombe Tye. They said that they remove the sheep from the land for four to five months out of the year.

However, residents have shown increasing concern of the denudation of the chalkland ecosystem due to the sheep being present throughout the year. Residents have questioned the impact on wildflowers, ground nesting birds, insects, and other species native to chalk downlands which are unable to flourish due to the over grazing.

Another local resident who took part in the protest said: “Our neighbouring village of Rottingdean have transformed Beacon Hill, the area around Rottingdean Windmill, by rotating when and where sheep can graze. The grassland at Beacon Hill is now rich in plant life, insects and birds, it’s a lovely place to go to for a nature trail and to enjoy recreationally. It is something the residents are totally proud of, work hard to maintain and it’s a preferred grassland area to ours which is just wrong in our view.”

The Tye is a natural chalk downland area, owned by Telscombe Council as public open space for quiet and peaceful recreation.

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