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Press release: Preservation of
Horsham's Town Greens
Update 6 March 2007:
proposed development at Ramsey Close unanimously refused by planning committee
30 January 2007
John Steele, Chairman
of the Horsham Society, said
“The current
controversy over the sale of a town green to Saxon
Homes to build social housing exposes a conflict of
interest at the heart of the difficult decisions which
the Council sometimes has to take.
Yes, we need more
social housing. Yes, the Council is right to look for
suitable ways to enable providers to obtain affordable
land. But, no, not by destroying forever a town
green.
The Society supports
the policy of requiring 40% of new homes west of
Horsham to be affordable. That is the right way to
provide housing for those that cannot or choose not to
buy their own homes; not by destroying one of the
precious green lungs in our already heavily developed
town.
The Society has been
impressed by the approach to planning for the
development west of Horsham. The Council and
consultants seem intent on building a new community
with a real sense of place. Councillors were recently
taken on a tour to see successful developments and
what can be achieved by good design, including the
creation of green spaces. We are therefore surprised
that the Council should even contemplate development
on an existing green space which its predecessors had
the foresight to create.
For some time we have
been concerned that the Council seems to have
difficulty in turning down inappropriate planning
applications because they are swayed by issues of
social need.
The members of the
planning committee should be in no doubt, and if
necessary their legal advisors should remind them,
that they must consider the Ramsey Close application
solely on its planning merits. What, they must ask
themselves, would they have done if the application
was from a speculative developer to build two five
bedroomed houses on this town green? In planning
terms the situation is the same. We have no doubt
such an application would be thrown out. So too,
therefore, must the Saxon Weald proposal.“
Green Spaces article - December 1994 newsletter8
Main Town Greens page8 |
