http://ifieldsociety.org.uk/index.php/2025/01/08/january-8-2025-f…y-observer-jan-8/
HORSHAM LOCAL PLAN – EXAMINATION HEARING – ‘WEST OF IFIELD’ [HA2] SITE ALLOCATED FOR DEVELOPMENT – THURSDAY JANUARY 16 2024
PARTICIPANTS – RICHARD SYMONDS AND DAVID MOON [THE IFIELD SOCIETY CO-FOUNDERS]
MATTER 9 – M9.31 – HEARING STATEMENT – HA2 1187258 [1. UNSOUND 2. NOT LEGALLY COMPLIANT 3. NOT COMPLIANT WITH DUTY TO CO-OPERATE]
HEARING STATEMENT SUBMISSION – RICHARD W. SYMONDS [THE IFIELD
SOCIETY]
Introduction
I write this as Co-founder of the Ifield Society which was informally set up 24
years ago aiming “to protect and preserve this ancient Parish of Ifield for
present and future generations to enjoy – especially Ifield Brook Meadows”
[see map below]
West of Ifield [HS2] – lying within the rural half of the ancient Parish – should be
withdrawn immediately from the Horsham Local Plan for 3 primary reasons.
1. 1999 – ‘Strategic Gap’ – The Ruling of the Judges
In 1999, Horsham District Council spent a considerable amount of local
taxpayers money going to the Appeal Court to protect the so-called ‘strategic
gap’ between Crawley & Horsham from development – what is now called ‘West
of Ifield’ [including the ‘West Of Ifield Rural Fringe’].
“Counsel for Horsham, Rhodri Price Lewis, had argued that where land such
as Ifield Court Farm was an integral part of the open countryside between the
towns and that to allow development of it would seriously undermine the aims
of the planning policy.
Lord Woolf said that Horsham was under a duty to prevent coalescence between
the two towns and had been entitled to take the view that exclusion of the land
from the gap could have a tendency to encourage such coalescence. The planning
inspector had been entitled to take the view that redesignation of the land, without
very strong justification, could trigger off ‘the very real danger of cumulative
erosion'”
2. 2018 – “Not Currently Developable” – SHELAA
West of Ifield – which later included the legally questionable Golf Club ‘Land
Grab’ – was judged to be “Not Currently Developable” by the Strategic Housing
and Economic Land Availability Assessment [SHELAA]
3. 2020 – ‘Subsidence’ Warning – Historic England and Specialist
Archaeological Advice
Historic England warned of “subsidence” if any large-scale development took
place – especially around Ifield Brook Meadows, St Margaret’s Parish Fields
and Ifield Court Farm Heritage & Scheduled Monument Site within the ancient
Parish [see map below].
“We think it essential that an integrated landscape approach to assessment of
heritage assets [both designated and undesignated] is undertaken and
translated into the report. The assessment should also take account of the
potential impact which associated development activities [such as
construction, servicing, maintenance , and associated traffic[ might have upon
perceptions, understanding, and appreciation of the heritage assets in the
area. The assessment should also consider the likelihood of alterations to
drainage and water patterns that might lead to in situ decomposition or
destruction of below ground archaeological remains and deposits, and can
also lead to subsidence of buildings and monuments”
Conclusion
The West of Ifield development has proven to be a bad – almost insane – plan. It
should be withdrawn immediately.
Richard W. Symonds
The Ifield Society