Summersdale Neighbourhood Character Appraisal

Development along The Drive became clearer in the 1930s when some of
the properties were ascribed to the adjacent and ‘new’ Chestnut Avenue,
and a mix of detached bungalows and houses were built along the
northern side of The Drive. Further detached houses were also built in the
1930s at the southern end as the road neared its junction with The
Avenue. The road was not made up until the late 1970s.

Brandy Hole Lane, a leafy and highly attractive rural lane on the
outskirts of the City, is residential with houses built both before and after
the Second World War. It is also an essential conduit to the Local Nature
Reserve and Centurion Way for the whole of Summersdale. To promote
and protect these valuable recreational facilities, any development
opportunity that may arise must be handled most sensitively.

Environmental Features

The only productive farm in Summersdale lies to the north-east astride
the River Lavant, but throughout the area, the established streets are
lined with mature trees and well-stocked gardens, which together support
a diverse range of wild life.

To the south of Brandy Hole Lane is a historic copse of some 15 acres,
mostly coppiced woodland, with part of it belonging to the Chichester
District Council and the rest to two local landowners. Since 2001 it has
enjoyed benefits as a Local Nature Reserve, with funding, clear highway
signage, and information displays.

The copse is home to a wide range of birds, mammals, insects and plant
life. The woodland is generally dominated by sweet chestnut coppice with
occasional oak and birch trees, the coppicing letting in the light for flowers
to flourish. Most of the oaks are English, but there are a few rarer sessile
oaks and hybrids.

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Protected Pipistrelle, Daubentons, Natterers and Whiskered bats are
known to roost in the copse, and have also been reported in houses close
to the site. Moths and other insects include the endangered stag beetle,
hornets, the elephant hawk moth which feeds on the nectar of
honeysuckle, and several common butterflies. The unusual white admiral
has been seen in pairs on several occasions. Summer surveys have
recorded 16 species of birds, many nesting in the copse, while mammals
include mice, rats, voles, shrews, squirrels, rabbits, foxes and the
occasional deer.

The three ponds in the copse support their own variety of species and
marginal plant life, while an abundance of flowering plants can be seen
throughout the woods.

The copse can be both a playground and an educational facility. It is open
to the public at all times, with entrances at either end of Brandy Hole
Lane. It is a valuable and much valued facility close to Summersdale’s
historic core, but with an Iron Age and colourful recent history of its own.
Besides Centurion Way, Summersdale is blessed with immediate access to
a network of walks across fields and roads to the east and north where
the hills of The Trundle and Kingley Vale beckon. From these local beauty
spots 360 degree vistas reach the harbour and the sea, the Isle of Wight,
Bognor and Worthing, the Goodwood estate with its airfield and race
courses, and the beautiful areas of Sussex to the north. There is much to
lift the spirits and enjoy, both within Summersdale and the surrounding
countryside.