ENVIRONMENTALISTS have urged a council to focus more on ways to reduce carbon emissions when discussing future plans.

Brighton and Hove Friends of the Earth (BHFOE) has challenged an ongoing planning development for Toads Hole Valley in Hangleton.

The scheme to build 880 homes, a secondary school, business units, community centre, doctor’s surgery and shops is planned for what the group says is the largest green space in Brighton and Hove allocated for development.

While BHFOE accepts the plans, it objects to the current proposals on transport and climate change grounds.

In particular, it challenges the failure to cater properly for pedestrians and cyclists.

Chris Todd, of BHFOE, said: “This site offers us a once-in-a-generation opportunity to do something really quite special.

“Unfortunately, while there are some good aspects to this proposal, it is badly let down by its layout.

“The provision for people who want to walk and cycle is poor.

“It will place pedestrians and cyclists in conflict on shared paths, deterring people from leaving the car at home.”

According to BHFOE, the current plans will lead to more car use, even with a bus serving the site, because it is easy to drive from one part of the development to another.

Mr Todd said: “There is an urgent need to reduce carbon emissions, as we have seen by the recent youth marches and numerous scientific reports.

“Transport is the one area where we are failing, and failing badly.”

The lack of focus on a more environmentally friendly transport solution is a step back, according to him.

He said: “This development, rather than offering solutions for the future, will lock in bad habits of the past.

“This will make it harder for us to tackle climate change, not speed us towards the path we need to take.”

Some of the changes Mr Todd has suggested include moving the shopping centre and doctor’s surgery closer to the heart of the community to make it easier to walk or cycle between them.

He said the main junction in the area has five separate stages for pedestrians and cyclists to cross to the southern side of Goldstone Crescent, but cars only have one.

He said: “This is hardly prioritising walking and cycling as required by national planning policy.

“There is no excuse for not getting this right and we hope the developers will take on board these concerns and amend the application to produce something that is truly groundbreaking.”

No date has been fixed for the application to go before the planning committee.