Pebsham with a touch of the Eden Project

More than 70 people attended Monday's public meeting at Bexhill College to hear the results of public consultation on the project.

The findings were the result of a five-month consultation period and showed that 76% of those who responded were in favour of the 600-hectare park.

The area forms a natural buffer between Bexhill and St Leonards.

But Crowhurst villagers and landowners whose property would be involved are against the scheme.

Tariq Khwaja, of consultation specialists TK Associates, said more than 2,000 members of the community had been involved in helping to shape the project through workshops, exhibitions and 952 completed questionnaires.

Nigel Marshall, principal landscape architect for East Sussex County Council, outlined some early thoughts for the design of the park '“ encompassing a nature reserve, sports, art and new woodland - based on the consultation findings plus market and technical studies.

The northern area of the park could become a nature reserve, the southern part an activities area and the beach strip taking in the wreck of the Amsterdam and the fossilised forest could become a coastal park.

The county council is working in partnership with Rother and Hastings on the project. A third of the land is in public ownership, the rest in private ownership.

Mr Marshall said: "We have an area where we have an opportunity - perhaps a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity - for regeneration."

There was scope for environmental thinking "on the scale of the Eden Project."

The Eden Project is a landmark Millennium venture and major tourist attraction exploring the relationship between plants, people and resources.

Mr Marshall told the meeting: "I am not saying that it will happen - but it could happen."

Stressing that this idea was "embryonic," he said there was scope for something embracing interpretive, environmental and educational ideas which would also make wildlife much richer.

He added: "Let us keep the options open."

TK Associates said many new ideas suggested during the consultation are also being taken into consideration. There were popular calls for a caf, visitor centre, sheltered areas and picnic spots.

There were also suggestions of an ecologically-friendly art-house, zip wires, an energy park, a wind farm, a llama park, rock climbing, dry-skiing, a BMX centre, a water maze and many more.

Based on the consultation findings, the project team's proposed design ideas include:

'¢Access for everyone as an integral part of the park design '“ catering for walkers, orienteers, cyclists, riders, bird watchers and people with disabilities

'¢Facilities for people to find out about the local environment and to watch wildlife '“ through hides and using technology such as remote cameras as well as out in the open

'¢Sections of new and improved woodland

'¢A sports area incorporating a wide range of activities from BMX and skateboarding to archery and model aircraft

'¢Areas for water activities, such as angling and boating, including a 2.5km Coastal Park from Glyne Gap in Bexhill to Bulverhythe

'¢Areas for sculpture and other public art

'¢Sections in the northern area where private land owners could take advantage of new business opportunities brought by the park '“ such as visitor accommodation and animal centres.

The project team considers that some ideas suggested during consultation are not feasible or appropriate '“ mostly because of space constraints or noise. These include a swimming lake, golf, motor-biking, kite-buggying and hunting.

A copy of the consultation report and the preliminary design ideas are now available on the project website (www.eastsussex.gov.uk/pebsham) or from Toni Roberts on [email protected] or 01424 451432.

People now have a final three weeks to express their opinions by emailing [email protected] or writing to Pebsham Views, TK Associates, 16 Florence Road, London W5 3TX. Responses must be received by Wednesday, March 22. Early stages of the scheme are part-financed by the European Union's ERDF fund and run in partnership with countryside initiatives in the Lille and Somme regions of France.