Serious reasons to stop plans

The press coverage in WSCT (pages 14 & 15) last week says it all. The paper is quoting the opinions of an array of influential Horsham Town organisations. Please listen HDC !

It is no surprise that the future of Rookwood Public Golf Course and Warnham Local Nature Reserve matters to the people of Horsham Town. These are important scenic public open spaces that provide treasured and accessible amenities in the open air within an established haven for wildlife and nature. The HDC Plan to develop the area emerged suddenly out of the blue in

January 2020.

When questions were asked, it became clear that it was commissioned in 2016 and had been put together without reference to local elected ward councillors, without any prior discussions with other local representatives, local organisations, users, the local community or the general public.

The current situation could have been avoided if knowledge and opinions had been sought at the outset. The scheme was progressed without full local input and experience. The plan, which was rushed in as a lastminute option for the new HDPF, rang many unwelcome alarm bells. Most of these have not been ironed out by subsequent amended plans.

This proposed transformation has many serious repercussions for Horsham Town and its surroundings. I emailed the cabinet before the HDPF public consultation was published and asked that Rookwood/Warnham Nature Reserve should be taken out of the options list, because there had not been enough time to discuss the consequences and repercussions. I had no reply and it remained on the list.

It was a deeply troubling experience for councillor Crosbie and myself because we had dedicated ourselves to the area for 25 years. I have been carefully watching the ever-growing concerns about Rookwood and the nature reserve. Quite frankly, my eyes have been opened to exactly how unreasonable the designation process has become. Particularly painful, for someone who continues to care about the whole of Horsham district yet knows that Horsham Town is worth far more consideration than it is experiencing.

People in Horsham Town are providing serious reasons why the Rookwood scheme should be removed from the HDPF.

Thank you again for WSCT’s interest. These are agonising times for all of us owing to Covid -19.

CLLRCHRISTINECOSTIN

Liberal Democrat councillor for Trafalgar ward