OCTOBER 3 2024 – MAKING THE CASE FOR ‘IFIELD COUNTRY PARK – GATWICK’ – PART I: DESIGNATE WILLOUGHBY FIELDS LOCAL NATURE RESERVE [LNR] AS A COUNTRY PARK
[A] 25TH ANNIVERSARY – CRAWLEY MILLENNIUM GREENWAY
The 25th Anniversary of the Crawley Millennium Greenway falls next year – ‘Celebrating the 21st Century’
Willoughby Fields Local Nature Reserve [LNR] is an integral part of the Ifield section of the celebrated Greenway.
What better way to continue to celebrate than to designate Willoughby Fields LNR as part of the proposed ‘Ifield Country Park – Gatwick’.
This proposal could secure a future pioneering ‘green’ legacy for both Crawley and Gatwick.
It is a bold proposal, but if there is the will to make it happen…it will happen.
Richard W. Symonds
The Ifield Society
[B] ON THIS DAY 10 YEARS AGO [OCTOBER 10 2012]
WELBECK’S DEVELOPMENT PLANS FOR IFIELD BROOK MEADOWS “BLOWN OUT OF THE WATER” BY CRAWLEY BOROUGH COUNCIL
1. From : Lee Harris, Chief Executive of Crawley Borough Council
To : RWS
Thanks for sending me your ‘Ramblette Pack’ – very helpful background.
I’ve now had a chance to look into the concerns you are raising which are matters for Crawley Borough Council.
The development consortium is promoting their ideas through the Horsham District plan process, which they are perfectly entitled to do.
I have looked at the map showing the proposed development area West of Ifield, and the map shows land ownership of those parties within the consortium, and does not mean that it will all be built upon.
In particular, and turning to your concern about the land within the Crawley Borough boundary, I can confirm that this is not able to be developed for a variety of reasons – Flood Plain (flooding), Conservation Area (Ifield Village Conservation Area), and Site of Nature Conservation Interest (SNCI).
This is well understood by both Crawley and Horsham councils.
Incidentally, much of the land to the north of the area shown on the map is also severely constrained by flooding.
I do hope that this helps alleviate your concerns about the land within Crawley.
2. From : Cllr Bob Lanzer (Con), Leader of Crawley Borough Council
To : Crawley News (Oct 10 – Page 10)
I am not convinced the location is needed for housing at this time, and it would be disappointing to lose some of the land, pinpointed by developers.
3. From : Cllr Claire Denman (Con), Cabinet Member for Planning & Economic Development. Crawley Borough Council
To : Crawley News (Oct 10 – Page 10)
For Crawley residents, there is the big issue of Ifield Brook Meadows, and I’ve been talking to our planning officers, and the response I’ve got is that it will not be built on.
It is an area of conservation, and forms a key part of a flood alleviation programme.
THIS REALLY DOES WIPE IT OUT FROM DEVELOPMENT.
4. From : Cllr Peter Smith (Lab, Ifield), Crawley Borough Council
To : Crawley News & Crawley Observer (Oct 10 & Oct 7)
Myself and Chris Oxlade, as Labour Ifield councillors, will oppose any attempt to build on this site, which is both an area of natural and historic beauty, and unsuitable for building due to flooding.