Bewbush affordable homes on playing fields approved

Drawn up with architects Bailey Partnership, the application for Breezehurst Playing Fields will see the site split, with flats, houses and maisonettes built on one half, while the other remains as a playing field.

The Breezehurst Community Pavilion will stay where it is.

During a meeting of the planning committee on Monday (February 8), councillors heard from residents in neighbouring Douster Crescent, who were unhappy with the plans.

Some claimed the playing field had been a major selling point when they bought their homes and they had no idea that the development was on the cards.

Others were worried that the new homes would be built too close to theirs.

While there was sympathy for those living next to the site, Peter Smith (Lab, Ifield) pointed out that it had been allocated for housing in the 2015 Local Plan.

He suggested they speak to their solicitors if they felt they had not been given the full information.

The housing will be made up of 18 one-bedroom and 38 two-bedroom flats in three-storey blocks, along with nine two-bedroom, 17 three-bedroom and three four-bedroom houses.

Among the objections received by the council were concerns about the loss of green space – the meeting was told that the fields were well used by the community, especially since the outbreak of the pandemic.

Sport England – the body responsible for growing and developing grass-roots sport and getting more people active – initially raised similar concerns.

But the council’s pledge to restore, manage and maintain the playing pitch on the site saw its objection withdrawn.

To view the application, log on to planningregister.crawley.gov.uk and search for CR/2020/0192/RG3.