Group fighting 10,000 homes west of Ifield holds first annual meeting
The first Annual General Meeting (AGM) for the Save West of Ifield (SWOI) campaign group took place in St. Margaret's Church in Ifield village last Tuesday evening (August 9).
SWOI is fighting to prevent Homes England from building up to 10,000 houses around the west of Crawley from Ifield Wood, through Lambs Green to Faygate.
Attendees filled the church to hear presentations explaining what the campaign has achieved in its first year, progress with fundraising, and plans and priorities for the next twelve months.
The focus will be to make the strongest possible case against the loss of Ifield Golf Course and 1,400 acres of green fields and woodland to housing development which is vastly in excess of local need.
The campaign will argue against Horsham District Council including this development in its Local Plan - publication is expected this autumn – and SWOI will be organising public meetings nearer the time.
Open discussion included topics such as the effect of the current drought on water neutrality, and the demand for new schools on Ifield Golf Course.
County, borough and parish councillors took part in the conversation.
The committee thanked everyone who has contributed to the campaign, and asked for volunteers to join the group as neighbourhood ambassadors, or to share relevant experience.
Campaign chair Fenella Maitland-Smith said: “We had a tremendous turnout for our AGM showing that there are significant numbers of people that do not want to see 10,000 houses built on the land west of Ifield effectively joining Crawley to Horsham. Our campaign to persuade Homes England, our local MPs’ and Councillors to have another think will continue.”
Visit www.savewestofifield.co.uk