The future of Cissbury Fields in Worthing

Worthing Borough Council has been working in partnership with residents, ecologists, nature groups and other partners to develop a plan that will restore Cissbury Fields into a thriving environment for wildlife and visitors alike.

The fields, located at the foot of Cissbury Ring, were previously farmed by a tenant, but we took back control of them in 2021 as part of our pledge to support biodiversity and help tackle climate change.

Like areas of the surrounding landscape, Cissbury Fields is made up of chalk grassland - an ecosystem which has been described as Europe's equivalent of the tropical rainforest, due to the rich diversity of life it can hold and support.

However, due to years of farming, the grassland hasn't been able to develop into this diverse natural landscape. Our mission, therefore, is to bring the fields back to life by working with our nature partners, ecologists and the community most connected with the site.

While we are looking to encourage new life to the fields, this won't be at the expense of the visitor experience. Community involvement in fun activities is also at the forefront of the plan, as well as steps to create dedicated walking paths, entry points and an on-site car park. We are also looking at ways to tackle dog fouling in the area.

To find out more, please take a look at the management plan below, which outlines our shared vision to balance nature restoration and leisure at Cissbury Fields. The plan was subject to public consultation in 2024.

• Balancing nature restoration and leisure use at Cissbury Fields - A plan (2023 - 2026) (5,553KB)
• Please note: Due to the size and complexity of this document it has not been accessibility checked

More recently, the team has been working up plans to submit an application to the government's Countryside Stewardship Fund.

The fund is delivered by the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs and Natural England and helps landowners do right by the land, providing additional help and financial support to improve a landscape's biodiversity.

Along with local councillors and representatives of South Downs National Park Authority and Findon Valley Residents' Association, we recently met with Natural England officers to walk around the site and gain clear direction from the government advisors on how best to restore this important environment.

Initial proposals are now underway and include:

• Fencing a number of the site's fields to host a small herd of cattle. The cattle will rotate around specific areas of Cissbury Fields as the grassland improves
• Installing drinking troughs and a cattle pen
• Installing gates across the site, to enable dog walkers and the community to continue accessing the area
• Installing new boundary fencing making the site more secure

The site will continue to be available for the community with full access to all fields. The cattle - a native Sussex breed - will be supplied by Sussex Wildlife Trust.

We expect to submit a full application to the Countryside Stewardship Fund in Spring 2026. Further details will be available to read in the October Joint Strategic Committee report.

Photos: Cissbury Fields, Worthing

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