New moves in fight to protect ‘precious countryside’ south of Horsham

A public meeting is to be held on Thursday (March 19) in the latest round of a fight by residents to halt proposals for 3,500 new homes at Buck Barn, West Grinstead.

Housebuilders Thakeham Homes have put forward proposals to build the houses, along with new schools, shops and a pub in what they describe as a new ‘garden community.’

No planning applications or decisions have yet been made but a large public backlash followed when the plans were first outlined by Thakeham Homes late last year.

South Downs MP Andrew Griffith has already spoken out in the Commons about the proposals, saying that future development should be on brownfield sites, not green field sites such as that at Buck Barn.

Mr Griffith - who is to attend the public meeting at Dial Post Village Hall at 7.30pm on Thursday - said there was insuffiscient infrastructure to support the proposed development and described the site as ‘some of our last remaining precious countryside.’