Protests over plans for new homes on Horsham 'mystery house' site

Developers Starbuild have applied to Horsham District Council for plannning permision to knock down the house – The Copse in Worthing Road, Southwater – to make way for the development.

The Copse has lain abandoned for years and mystery has surrounded why it was left empty prompting public speculation over its future.

But Starbuild are seeking planning approval to demolish the building and replace it with a mix of 33 houses and bungalows along with a 76-bed care home on the seven acre site.

But worried local residents are raising a flood of objections. They say the site is outside the built-up area of Southwater and would lead to the erosion of the area’s rural character.

There are also concerns that it would be another step towards joining the village to Horsham, fears over an increase in traffic, noise and pollution, the loss of trees and wildlife habitat and a lack of infrastructure.

Many residents also point out problems over ‘water neutrality.’ One resident, in a letter to the council, says: “Until further water resources become available there is a clear requirement from Natural England for water neutrality which means that the use of water in the supply area before the development is the same or lower after the development is in place.

"Bearing in mind that water resources are already under threat at this time when not even all the permissions granted up to now have been built out, the very idea of granting further permissions is preposterous.”

They added: “As Southern Water is also responsible for waste water, it is worth pointing out that their waste water management is defective and adding more load to that system is likely to make the situation worse.”

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Another resident said: “The development would provide a strain on Southwater village infrastructure – doctors, dentist, schools etc” and added that it would create an ‘unsafe traffic flow’ on Worthing Road roundabout.

The group Keep Southwater Green is also opposing the proposals saying they would ‘contravene core policies in the Southwater Neighbourhood Plan.’

Previous attempts to build up to 15 houses on the site have been turned down by planners.