The delightful half-page picture of Brighton and Hove City Council planning policy manager Nigel Green sitting high on the top of Whitehawk Hill amid the grass and flowers, with the spectacular view over Brighton and the Bay of Sussex behind (The Argus, December 22), cheered me up.

Having seen built development gnawing away at Whitehawk Hill for the past four decades, I hope Nigel's presence there means he intends to vigorously defend the hill against further development.

This is Brighton's premier archaeological and wildlife site and one of the most spectacular viewpoints on the entire 80-mile downland chain.

As someone who has lived in and fought for social housing most of my adult life, I wholeheartedly support the council's courageous stand for a 40 per cent quota for affordable housing in any development.

We are faced with a proposal for a largely private housing development, right up near the skyline, which will destroy part of the proposed Local Nature Reserve.

The only sure and certain way of securing the future of this ancient and lovely place is for it to be included, with Sheepcote Valley, in the new South Downs National Park.

Will the council leadership and their planners help us to get the hill inside the park boundary? If we are excluded, we will be like travellers locked out of the village stockade at night - the wolves will get us eventually.

-Dave Bangs, Secretary, Friends of Whitehawk Hill, Ewhurst Road, Brighton