Aim – To protect and preserve this ancient Parish of Ifield for present and future generations to enjoy – especially Ifield Brook Meadows
JUNE 17 2024 – FROM THE ARCHIVES – 23 YEARS AGO [DECEMBER 19 2001] – WEST OF IFIELD: ‘RESIDENTS REJECT [WSCC] STRUCTURE PLAN…SHAMBLES’ / ‘MASS TURNOUT HALTS MEETING’ + ‘HOMES MEETING TURNS INTO FARCE’ – CRAWLEY NEWS + CRAWLEY OBSERVER – DECEMBER 19 2001
‘CRAWSHAM: RESIDENTS REJECT STRUCTURE PLAN / MASS TURNOUT HALTS MEETING’ – CRAWLEY NEWS – DECEMBER 19 2001 – West Sussex County Council’s draft Structure Plan gives details about plans to build 2,500 new homes to the west of Ifield as well as 2,700 new homes to the north east of Crawley. With the consultation period for these plans due to end on February 15 , KAREN DUNN went along to the latest public meeting
RED-FACED county council bosses were forced to abandon a meeting on the town’s future attended by 400 people because they thought only 30 people would show up.
When asked a few days before the meeting why they had only booked the 140-seater Hawth studio for the meeting, a West Sussex County Council spokesman said: “We’ve held these functions before when only 30 people have shown up”.
But after just five minutes, with about 250 people unable to get into the hall, chairman Sally Greenwell, who is also cabinet member for education, axed the meeting until a bigger venue could be found. One member of the public heckled: “If they can’t organise a meeting how do you expect them to organise a town?”
County councillor David Dewdney was at the meeting. He said: “It’s good to show the county council that the people of Crawley do care”.
Mr Dewdney agreed with Mrs Greenwell’s decision to abandon the meeting and said: “It’s better to have one full meeting than two half meetings. I do hope we can have a meeting that is a constructive one. I love criticism as long as it is informed. The houses will not be in Crawley because Crawley is full. If we have more houses associated with Crawley it will be to the west of Crawley and not in Crawley”.
PEOPLE’S VIEWS ON STRUCTURE PLAN ‘SHAMBLES’ – CRAWLEY NEWS – DECEMBER 19 2001
Dawn Wilkinson-Ledger, of Ardingly Close, Ifield, was one of hundreds who tried to squeeze into the Studio to attend the meeting. She said: “Hiring a hall for 140 people capacity when the subject of building 2,500 houses is on the agenda is not good planning. History has shown that Ifield residents have always been vocal about their environment”….
James Scott, of St Margaret’s Road, Ifield…
Diane Pratt, of Ifield…
Ornithologist James Havers…
COUNCIL TAX REVOLT? – CRAWLEY NEWS – DECEMBER 19 2001
Campaigner: Richard Symonds is opposed to the proposed developments
A WELL-KNOWN campaigner has warned county councillors that their development plans have awakened a sleeping giant in the people of Crawley.
Richard Symonds, of Lavington Close, Ifield, believes the council could find itself facing a council tax revolt if they fail to listen to the views of the people.
Mr Symonds, who stood unsuccessfully for the county council at the last election, held a protest outside The Hawth as residents poured in to attend the public meeting. He spoke to a number of people who were on their way out when the meeting was abandoned.
He said: “There were a lot of angry people coming out. Somebody did talk to me and said he was thinking of a council tax revolt. If enough people say enough is enough they will have to listen. The result of last night is there could well be a council taxpayers’ revolt.
He said of the meeting: “I consider it a bit symbolic of West Sussex County Council’s attitude towards Crawley – very uncaring and a big miscalculation on its part”.
Mr Symonds is angry with Crawley Borough councillors for not objecting to the county council plans for development, including those on playing fields such as at the old site of Ifield First School.
Mr Symonds continued: “They are doing an injustice to the pioneers of the town who built the town as a new town. It was lauded in the 1950s as visionary.
“All they are doing is selling us short and selling our children short. All we are becoming is a ghetto-ised concrete jungle”.
‘HOMES MEETING TURNS INTO A FARCE’ – CRAWLEY OBSERVER – DECEMBER 19 2001
AN ARMY of angry residents branded a public County Council meeting a shambles after it was abandoned when too many people turned up….
