War of words over development plans

A war of words has erupted over plans to build thousands of new houses in two villages bordering Horsham.

Thakeham Homes wants to build 3,500 houses at Buck Barn, West Grinstead, and development company Our Place wants to build 3,000 houses at Adversane, near Billingshurst.

Residents in both villages are putting forward strong opposition to both proposals - on green field countryside sites - and have formed action groups in a bid to halt both developments.

But a row has now broken out between the groups after the Save West Grinstead Action Group said that they supported The Adversane development if Buck Barn was left alone.

The Adversane protest group - BigSTAND - is now calling for West Grinstead protesters to withdraw their support.

A spokesman said: “Residents in the Adversane area are surprised and disappointed that the Buck Barn Action Group have seen fit to suggest that 3,000 houses should be built at Adversane rather on their own patch at West Grinstead.”

BigSTAND chairman Julian Trumper said: “We are very disappointed by the ‘Save West Grinstead’ campaign’s misguided and self-centred support for building a new town at Adversane in order to protect their own patch of countryside.

“We call on the ‘Save West Grinstead’ campaign to immediately withdraw their support for the developer’s new town plans at Adversane. We should all stick together in opposing the many developer plans for concreting over the

Horsham countryside.

“We are all in this together and all the reasons why there should be no development at Buck Barn apply even more so to Adversane.”

“BigStand has always taken the view that any new houses should be built on brown field sites before concreting over the countryside.

“And if major new development is required, it should go to the main urban areas, where you already have the employment, social infrastructure and public transport.”

Both action groups maintain that their villages are not suitable places for development and have raised concerns that the proposals would be detrimental to wildlife, would cause increased traffic problems and say there is a lack of infrastructure to cope with such developments.

No decisions have yet been made on either proposals.