Billingshurst residents launch fight to save village’s green ‘oases’

The two small greens - in Broomfield Drive and Maple Road - have been used as play areas by generations of village children.

But now the greens have been sold off by auction and residents fear developers will move in.

Two action groups have been formed in a bid to protect the land - the Friends of Broomfield Willow and the Maple Road Society.

Many residents believed the two greens were owned by West Sussex County Council, which maintains them, but were surprised to discover recently that they were sold off by estate developers Sunley Homes some years ago and have since been sold again at auction.

Murray Hughes, chairman of the Friends of Broomfield Willow, said: “This is a wake-up call for everyone on a local estate with a green to check who actually owns it.

“New estates being built to the north and east of Billingshurst include green spaces, so it was a huge shock for residents to discover that greens in the heart of their 50-year-old estate were being sold for potential development.”

He added: “The green is the haunt of green woodpeckers, pied wagtails and goldfinches at different times of year; hedgehogs too have been regular visitors and bats can be seen swooping in the air on summer evenings.

“Construction of a house or houses would destroy this oasis and ruin the open aspect and appearance of the estate, which has helped make it a desirable place to live.”

John Gooderham of The Maple Road Society said the society “will be fighting to preserve the green, with support from West Sussex County Council and Billingshurst Parish Council.”

He said the society knew that other patches of land in Billingshurst and elsewhere are threatened. “Greens on new estates all over the district are put in place at the insistence of Horsham District Council Planners. Older green spaces such a Maple Road’s are forgotten.”

Local resident Robert Bishop added: “Our best hope to avoid losing our precious green spaces is the Government’s 2020 Environmental Bill which stipulates that housing estates must include green spaces for community benefit, although to date, we are yet to hear from our MP, Jeremy Quin, whether he is willing to give his support to the residents.”