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Protecting Horsham's Town Greens
Updated October 2011
Horsham is very
fortunate to have many open spaces. The larger ones,
including Horsham Park and our recreation grounds
provide opportunities for formal recreation or just a
chance to relax. Chesworth Farm provides unique public
access to nearby countryside.
Many green spaces are however relatively small, left
by developers as somewhere for children to play and
neighbours to meet. They play an important role in our
street scenes. Often hosts to our declining stock of
large forest trees, they frame an otherwise urban
street scene. As building densities rise, developers
look for opportunities for in-fill, and the number of
homes with gardens decline these green lungs become
ever more precious.
For many years the Horsham Society has been
encouraging their registration as Town Greens to
ensure they are protected for future generations.
Until 2008 this was a difficult process, requiring
local residents to produce a record of continuous use
for informal recreation use over a twenty year period.
The Society has successfully supported residents in
long campaigns to register
Cootes Green and
Ramsey Close.
But now it is possible for land owners to voluntarily
register land as Town Greens. In July 2009 the Society
called on the District Council to set an example to
other land owners by registering the many small open
spaces it owns in the town. We selected five to start
with, all of which were by any standards unsuitable
for development but in need of protection. Read
our submission to HDC
here.
Following consideration of an officer’s
report in
February 2010 the Cabinet member responsible for
assets – Councillor Lindsay – turned down our request
to register the greens. This outcome is as regrettable
as it is inexplicable. Further information on the five
greens can be found
here. |
Ramsey Close Green - no longer under
threat
Cootes Green - successfully registered
after local community action
Photos by John Steele |
