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The Goring Gap Preservation Trust knows that there is only one long-term way to protect the most important stretches of green land from development. Buy them. Only ownership can give guarantees that particularly sensitive fields will remain as open space for residents to enjoy - permanently.
Such a course of action is not easy. Often builders and potential developers will be prepared to hang onto land for decades in the belief that one day planning will move in their favour. It will be difficult to persuade them to part with such land for a reasonable price.
But it is a course worth pursuing. 'Gaps' are the critical stretches of green land between communities which set the boundaries on towns and villages. They enable settlements to enjoy a sense of place in the county. They provide habitats for wildlife and breathing space for us humans too.
The first strategic gaps were defined in the 1960's to protect undeveloped coastline at places like Ferring and Climping. There are now 22 of them, and the county council has been passionate in their defence.
This week the Goring Gap Preservation Trust received £3,500 funding from the Millennium Heritage Fund. This money will be used primarily on a programme of information and education. It is a vital first step. Trusts like this can only succeed in raising the large sums of money they require if they have the support and understanding of the communities most effected.
Wouldn't it be marvellous if the Goring initiative were to spark similar moves across the county - ensuring that all those precious areas of land were owned by the peoples most dependent on them.
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