Not impressed by homes plans
Homes England (a government quango) has held a further series of online briefings to provide an update on their plans to build a massive housing development focussed on Ifield Golf Club on the Rusper Road.
Three sessions were held online last month. Participants were required to register in advance and the sessions took the form of an initial overview, break-out sessions allowing participants to comment on the plans and then a final summary.
Homes England was introducing revised plans for the proposed development which it claims have been modified in the light of feedback from residents who attended previous briefings and took part in a web-based event held in late December 2020.
The Ifield Society is one of a number of local groups opposing the Homes England plans and a spokesman for them commented: “Homes England have been criticised in previous briefings for being unable to respond to questions raised by residents in any detail.
“Unfortunately this still seems to be largely the case for their revised proposals where there is still a lot of essential details missing.
“Their original plans have been modified to now promise lots of green space, walking and cycling tracks, a ‘country park’, a hill with views over the area and a commitment that the view of St Margaret’s Church spire will not be obscured by anything in the development.
“The revised plans now promise shops, small business premises, cafes, schools and a medical centre but none of these are guaranteed for delivery.
“The Homes England proposals still promise increased biodiversity in the area despite the presence of 3,500 new homes. Understandably the emphasis in these sessions was now on 3,500 homes to be built over 15 years with no mention of circa 10,000 homes to be built over 30 years which was part of the original proposal.
“Participants in the sessions would not have been impressed by one of the Homes England speakers stating that much of the land in the area to be developed was of low environmental value as it was devoted to agriculture and would be of much better use being converted to amenities to be used by the existing and new residents.
“Questions were asked by residents about the loss of the valuable civic amenity that the Ifield Golf Club provides, the additional pressure from commuters living in the development on road and rail infrastructure in the area, the mitigation of possible flooding in the locality, the provision of water resources to the development and the impact on local wildlife. Homes England responses to these issues did nothing to reassure participants about the viability of their plans and the negative impact on all aspects of the local environment.
“The sessions were potentially misleading by presenting the West of Ifield development as being a new Crawley neighbourhood. The proposal is not supported by Crawley Borough Council or the Crawley MP. Homes England was forced to acknowledge that the development would take place on land under the control of Horsham District Council which would reap the rewards from rates payable on the new properties whilst the impact on facilities and infrastructure would be on Crawley.
“A key part of the Homes England plan was the construction of a Western Link Road providing access to the new development.
This was seen as an early requirement in order to prevent construction traffic having to access the development via Ifield Avenue, Ifield Green and the Rusper Road.
“The exact route of this new road is still unclear but it was stated that it would link to the Charlwood Road, Bonnett’s Lane and Ifield Avenue.
“On being asked why residents in the new development would use the wide diversion that the Link Road would involve rather than drive up the Rusper Road and Ifield Green the Homes England spokesman said that they would consider barriers that would allow buses to access the Rusper Road and would prevent private vehicles from using it.
“All in all these sessions did not impress anyone taking part that the Homes England proposals will anything other than a disaster for Ifield and Crawley.”
AIDAN ZEALL Ifield Green, Crawley