A milestone for nature recovery in Sussex – Chyngton Brooks saltmarsh restoration granted planning permission

This Thursday 16th July marked a milestone for nature recovery in Sussex as the National Trust’s project to restore 100 acres of saltmarsh at Chyngton Brooks was granted planning permission.

Our Conservation Manager, Charlotte Owen, spoke at the Planning Committee in strong support of this ambitious application, which is now a major step closer to delivery:

This exciting new project in the lower Cuckmere Valley presents a significant opportunity for essential action to be taken to address the climate and biodiversity crisis within one of the most iconic landscapes in the UK, with huge benefits for both people and wildlife.

It will support the creation of vital saltmarsh, a dynamic coastal wetland exceptionally rich in biodiversity. Saltmarsh in Sussex supports internationally important populations of birds like Lapwing and Redshank, and provides vital nursery sites for juvenile fish, including commercially important species like Sea Bass. Beyond its biodiversity value, saltmarsh is a natural capital asset that plays a significant role in natural flood defence, protecting coastal communities from erosion and storm surges. It also captures CO2 40 times faster than woodland, locking it into the sediment for centuries.

Saltmarsh is also incredibly rare. It only exists in a handful of places in Sussex and covers just 1% of the East Sussex coastline. By restoring 42 hectares, this application will create a 60% increase, adding much-needed resilience to the vulnerable saltmarsh stepping-stones along the Sussex coast, and boosting biodiversity and ecosystem services. There is almost nowhere else along our crowded coastline where this could be achieved, let alone at this scale.

And this isn’t just a nice to have – it’s a requirement. The project supports the priorities of the recently published Local Nature Recovery Strategy, introduced under the Environment Act 2021. It’s also in line with the emerging South Downs Local Plan policy position for the Heritage Coast.

This landscape is iconic, yes, but it’s also dynamic. The coastline is changing and will continue to change due to ongoing and inevitable climate impacts. It deserves a bold and ambitious approach to adaptation, which this project will show by working with natural processes, rather than against them.

Sussex is already home to the pioneering Sussex Kelp Recovery Project, the UK’s largest marine rewilding initiative, which is already demonstrating both the benefits of letting nature lead and the strength of public support that exists for this approach. This project will deliver more of the positive action for nature and climate that people want to see, alongside the hope and inspiration that we can do something about the situation we find ourselves in. 

We’re delighted this planning application was approved. The National Trust’s project to restore intertidal habitats at Chyngton Brooks will help secure nature’s recovery in Sussex and deliver essential climate adaptation in this iconic location.