Lightwood Property’s proposal for 315 houses between Woodingdean and Ovingdean is of real concern (The Argus, March 12).

Part of the proposed development is within the urban fringe at the junction of Falmer and Ovingdean Roads. The second, behind Cowley and Ravenswood Drives is, astonishingly, in the South Downs National Park.

We have been working hard to protect the green space around the city, preventing sprawl and losing green space between settlements.

Now our urban fringes are under extreme pressure, apparently driven by the planning inspector’s review of the draft City Plan Part One.

What on earth is going on? The council in its draft Local Development Framework, acknowledging their value, said “urban fringes” would be protected until at least 2020.

Since then the draft City Plan has reduced protection and includes intensively developing Toads Hole Valley.

However, it considered 11,300 homes “reflects the capacity and availability of land/sites in the city” – now the planning inspector appears to be targeting 20,000.

To provide all those homes we must be creative. There are many brownfield sites available – both abandoned and still in use.

Inevitably there will be strenuous efforts by developers to build over fields; for them it’s so much easier than building where there are existing buildings or problems.

What planners think will happen to those sites remains beyond me. Will they still be derelict in 10, 20 or 30 years time? More Anston Houses?

Putting brownfield first is crucial – to sort out the problems of the past, open up possibilities of regeneration using existing infrastructure and make better use of limited space.

Unoccupied properties must be brought back into use. The council appears to be doing this with its own buildings but what about privately owned ones? Are flats above shops all in use? Do we need all our current shops? Build over existing ugly open car parks?

The message to our council is clear: before resorting to building over irreplaceable open space, be bold and develop brownfield first; rebuild, re-use and renovate; regenerate with vision and imagination.

Make Brighton and Hove a city we all want to live in.

Stuart Derwent, CPRE Sussex Countryside Trust: Brighton and Hove

I have lived in Woodingdean since 1949 and have seen phenomenal changes in the surrounding area during these 65 years.

We have lost massive areas of downland where I played and studied the wildlife during times when children were safe and lucky to be able to come and go in the fields.

I taught myself about these creatures, sadly many of which are no longer surviving in the area: common lizards, partridge, lapwing, barn owl, adders, skylarks, dozens of species of butterflies and moths... the list goes on.

Where some creatures have survived, areas have had building squeezed into them, leaving little space for even a small garden. There is no more land available in Woodingdean and no infrastructure to support this increase in population.

Car use has increased massively and the road systems between Woodingdean and Ovingdean are at more than saturation point, as anyone using Falmer Road can testify.

I am concerned for the future if this ill-thought-out scheme gets the go-ahead.

In the larger picture, Sussex is at breaking point with everyone wanting to live in this beautiful county. Would it not be more sensible for the Government to regenerate industrial or brownfield areas in the north of England which have been neglected?

This proposed development will virtually link Ovingdean and Woodingdean into one great conurbation and destroy wildlife habitats.

I can appreciate how residents have fought to preserve the area as it is today. There is no room for this scheme as it is proposed and I can only hope common sense prevails and not the almighty buck.

Roger Musselle, Roger’s Wildlife Rescue, Woodingdean

The original part of Ovingdean is really quite nice but the extensions to it are set in a rather unimaginative road layout that has spoiled that part of the Downs.

The same could be said of Hangleton or Woodingdean and a number of other places, including my own home.

So, at first sight, the protests of Ovingdean residents at the proposal to build more houses on the edge of their “village” seem a bit rich.

However, they have a valid point for all of us: to preserve our green countryside patches where possible.

Long ago, the opportunity was not taken to link the Downs to the seafront with a green belt including Hove Park. But that damage is done and we can’t correct it now.

Perhaps one solution is for protesters to nominate where proposed homes could be built without damaging the environment.

Patrick Palmer, Rigden Road, Hove