I am saddened and concerned by plans to extend the Brookhurst Wood landfill site (The Argus, March 6). This is yet another plan to turn the Sussex countryside into a huge waste repository.

Only last week we heard about proposals for a new incinerator in West Sussex, and we've been debating another in Newhaven for years.

The reality is we would need far fewer ugly, toxic and environmentally destructive facilities if we threw away less waste in the first place and weren't required to dispose of millions of tonnes of London's rubbish annually as well.

The Government and Brighton and Hove City Council should be exercising real leadership on this, both adopting bolder recycling targets and legislating to make them a reality. This could be achieved by banning excessive packaging, shifting the financial burden of disposal from local authorities to the businesses that manufacture the rubbish in the first place and properly resourcing doorstep collections of a wide range of recycleable materials throughout Sussex.

  • Caroline Lucas, Green MEP for South East England and prospective parliamentary candidate for Brighton Pavilion