Homes and open green space
Horsham District Council is ahead of many local authorities in preparing and publishing a draft local plan, which is necessary if there is to be some measure of control held at local level. One aspect of the council’s draft local plan is the putting forward of a number of strategic sites for building new homes in the district. These strategic sites selected by HDC are all to have equal consideration. This covers an important part of the Government’s directive to every local authority that they should play their positive part in meeting the urgent need for more new homes.
Horsham town and Horsham villages are a popular area where many people already live and newcomers wish to live. The town is already home to around 55,000 people and continues to grow with recently approved new developments. The residents currently have access to open green spaces, which includes Horsham Park, the Riverside Walk, Chesworth Farm, Warnham Nature Reserve and Rookwood Golf Course, all within the town’s limits.
The ancient civilisations of the Greeks
Warnham Local Nature Reserve. Contact chairman@horshamsociety.org to join the Horsham Society
and Romans, for all their shortcomings, recognised that the citizens of their cities needed open space to improve the quality of life and wellbeing. The Romans called it ‘rus in urbe’ –the country in the city.
These civilisations subsequently passed into the dark ages. It was not until the Victorian times that a few enlightened individuals campaigned for publicly
accessible open green space. A notable individual was Octavia Hill who began her work in London in the 1860s. Her aim was to ‘make lives noble,’ homes happy and family life good with clean air and open green spaces for public use. This, she believed, would contribute to healthy happy communities. Octavia Hill campaigned for the use of smokeless fuel and helped to secure the purchase of Parliament Hill Fields. Some would say that her most notable achievement was the establishment of the National Trust in 1895.
Horsham has had its successes too by providing publicly accessible open green space. The Horsham Urban District Council, in 1928, purchased what is now Horsham Park from the Hurst family. Horsham District Council opened Warnham Nature Reserve and in 1987 opened Rookwood Golf Course and also extended the Riverside Walk with land purchased from the Lucas family. Over the years, by providing publicly accessible open green space, the elected representatives of the people of Horsham have made a positive contribution to the wellbeing of Horsham residents and visitors. To now consider approving a plan to build on this open green space within the town limits, and pollute the air with more car exhaust fumes, will be to betray those previous generation’s generosity of public spirit. There are alternative strategic sites available to build on, as identified in the plan, and these should be the main focus. It will reflect poorly on us all if any of the current open green spaces in the town are lost.