A COUNCILLOR has come under fire from environmentalists after claiming his authority had “no business” owning downland.

Labour councillor Tom Bewick accidentally revealed to downland campaigners that he was pleased Brighton and Hove City Council's sale of two sites were still going ahead in an email he thought was between his party colleagues.

Cllr Bewick said the views were his own personal opinion and not that of the administration.

Campaigner Dave Bangs said councillors needed to reconnect with the city’s heritage and appreciate the “blessing” that was the authority’s vast downland estate.

The emails are the latest stage in an ongoing battle between environmental campaigners and the city council over the biggest sell-off from its 12,500-acre downland estate in more than 20 years.

Campaigners were celebrating last week believing they had convinced the council to put the sale of the remaining sites at Plumpton Hill and Poynings on hold.

However the council said the delay was just a short pause to answer councillors’ questions and confirmed the sales of sites would still go ahead.

Both sites are currently under offer according to property agents Savills.

Cllr Bewick wrote that the council has no business owning non-national park downland and that the establishment by the Labour government of National Park status protected the habitat that legally needed protecting.

He also criticised the “complete grandstanding and nonsense” from Green councillors who are opposing the sell-off agreed under their own administration in 2014.

Cllr Bewick told The Argus: “No areas should be sacrosanct and we should look at all the assets the council owns.

“I fundamentally agree we have to protect the South Downs National Park but whether or not the council owns that land is a secondary question to the issue or whether it is a buyer or a conservation group ensuring that they commit to those kinds of principles.

“It is my personal view, it is not the Labour administration’s position.

“I’ve since slapped myself senseless for being so indiscreet, frankly straying into an area well-above my pay grade.

“Quite rightly colleagues are very disappointed in me for making that intervention.”

Mr Bangs said: “There is a job to be done here to reconnect councillors to the heritage and responsibilities they have to protect the blessing that Brighton has in its downland resources.

“The national park is just one of the bricks in the wall [to conserving downland], it is not a land owning body, it doesn’t even own its own toilets or car parks.

“It relies on partnerships and councils, along with the Forestry Commission, are the most stable ongoing partnership available.

“The private sector cannot provide that stability, you can have a friendly owner but if they die or sell their land on there’s no guarantee the next owner will be friendly.”