LETTER: No need to destroy the greenbelt

I am objecting to the wholly unjustified and outrageous project to build on the greenfields North of Horsham, next to the A264, and to destroy the Strategic Gap between Horsham and Crawley, instead of using a deliverable brownfield site in the district, and sites contained within the town boundary, near amenities, first of all.
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The best example of a clearly suitable and appropriate site is Southwater. There is enough land there, and a housing build in that location would also produce a school, which has been needed for some time, sports halls and other facilities.

The only reason that we have heard for the change of strategy from this suitable site to the clearly unsuitable greenfields north of Horsham is presence of a grade II listed building somewhere on the boundary of that brownfield site. That farm is not under any threat from a housing build nearby, nobody needs to demolish it and it is not a valid reason for the sudden change of strategy but a poor excuse.

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There isn’t any need to destroy the greenbelt and strategic gap here, in light of the presence of other sites, including the large brownfield site in Southwater.

We also object to the entirely unsubstantiated proposal for the Business Park and supermarket. There is no proven need for either item.

We object to the movement of school catchment lines and loss of Millais and Forest schools for all of North Horsham, Roffey, Rusper, Warnham, Old Holbrook, Faygate and Colgate, resulting from this ludicrous plan. This critical to families issue has not been made explicitly known to residents in the long-winded 189-page document on the Horsham District Council Website! It should have been honestly stated. Parents, beware, there is a lot in this plan that has not been clearly explained to you!

The above situation is entirely unacceptable and should be reported to higher government. Residents have every right to know the truth about this proposal, about the needless build of a school where it is not needed and the attempt to deprive another area of the school needed there – Southwater, for 20 years!

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This proposal is nonsense, unacceptably bad planning and governance and expense to residents and government alike.

We object to the impact a build on the Strategic Gap between Horsham and Crawley would have upon train services at Littlehaven (either extreme congestion and impossibility of getting a seat or cancellation of key services, including all fast trains out of the area.) None of this would happen if the build was upon a suitable brownfield site, such as Southwater.

Who is behind this senseless and destructive plan? Is it Mrs Vickers, who resides in Southwater and has it as her constituency? If so, I suggest for the entire council to come to their senses and do what is right for the entire district, before the residents lose faith entirely in HDC’s ability to plan for the area.

HDC had a reasonable strategy for providing the housing that is needed, this was suddenly abandoned. HDC should take immediate measures to note the residents’ view and to correct their procedures.

L Young

Brook Road, Horsham