We have all heard of the challenge of climate change, no matter who or what has caused it, and yet the Tory-run Worthing Borough Council continues to bury its head in the sands and ignore the chance to be a centre of excellence and promote healthy environmental opportunity.

Two parcels of land near Cissbury Ring, right next to the new South Downs, National Park are under threat of being disposed of without any consultation with members of the public.

As I suggested on the BBC Politics show recently, the council should be applying for funding from Natural England to save the land for environmental uses such as protecting habitats and wildlife and natural usage, not concrete and bricks.

The council is thinking of long-term leases instead of a “sale”, but acres of land owned by the National Trust are on long-term leases – how much management control do they have?

Take downland at Beeding – the public have lost their rights of access over it, all the archaeology and the ancient floral pastures have been destroyed. What is stopping this happening here ?

This land is our heritage, it is not for selling. Please make your views known to the council before it is too late.

Hazel Thorpe, deputy leader, Lib Dem group, Worthing Borough Council