Letter to the editor: Call for greater protection of Ifield Brook Meadows
Following last Saturday’s ‘Community Get Together’ organised by St Margaret’s Parish Church and attended by Crawley MP Peter Lamb [‘Walk and get-together’, Crawley Observer-Sussex World Letters, Sept 10] and last Thursday’s meeting organised by SWOI [‘Save West of Ifield campaigners urge Crawley and Horsham residents to object’, Crawley Observer-Sussex World, Sept 12], The Ifield Society will be writing to Horsham District Council’s Chief Planning Officer, Jason Hawkes.
Urgent concerns will be raised about the impact of Homes England’s speculative planning application DC/25/1312 (West of Ifield) on Ifield Brook Meadows and beyond it.
Ifield Brook Meadows is:
- A designated Local Wildlife Site (LWS) and the only Local Green Space (LGS) in Crawley Borough.
- A vital part of the Ifield Brook Biodiversity Opportunity Area, supporting herb-rich meadows, semi-natural woodland, over 30 breeding bird species, 20+ butterfly species, 24 Longhorn beetle species and other priority species such as the Kingfisher and Bechstein bat.
- Part of the Ifield Village Conservation Area and an irreplaceable landscape for local heritage and community wellbeing.
Following specific findings of Historic England, and other bodies, Ifield Society warns that this designated ‘Rural Fringe’ could now be under serious ecological and environmental threat, ‘sandwiched’ between Horsham’s proposed new housing and Crawley’s urban edge - thus leading to habitat loss, recreational pressure, and biodiversity decline.
Proposals for new paths and lighting across the Meadows are described as a direct threat to its re-wilding, thus preventing nature recovery.
Crawley Borough Council has already confirmed that land raising in Ifield Brook Meadows will not be accepted, yet Homes England’s planning documents remain inconsistent about whether the Meadows are inside or outside the development boundary.
Richard Symonds of The Ifield Society said:
“Ifield Brook Meadows is a jewel in the crown of the ancient Parish - a hidden gem. It must be protected at all costs, and it must be preserved and enhanced, not diminished, through this planning process. Horsham District Council - and Crawley Borough Council - must give full and proper weight to its protection”
The Ifield Society is calling on Horsham District Council to:
- Confirm whether Ifield Brook Meadows lies within or outside the red line boundary for DC/25/1312.
- Require Homes England to scope the Meadows fully into the Environmental Statement.
- Reject any proposals for new paths, cycleways, lighting, or land-raising within the Meadows.
For the reasons stated above - and others - Horsham District Council must reject Homes England’s flawed West of Ifield planning application at the earliest opportunity to ensure a sound and legally compliant Local Plan.
Yours sincerely
Richard W. Symonds
The Ifield Society
Ifield Street, Ifield Village
Crawley, West Sussex