Local issues

January 2008 

Hotel threat to Park

A Horsham District Councillor is promoting the idea of building a massive hotel in Horsham Park. The idea is that the building would occupy the whole of the site of the now-redundant children’s nursery and grounds. Further areas of the Park would be taken for car parking and access.

Both The Horsham Society and the Friends of Horsham Park are resolutely against any more development in the Park. Over the years, too much of this valuable green resource has been nibbled away and both organisations have many members who already feel that the night club on the south side of the Park and the swimming pool on the north side are over-obtrusive for those who like to enjoy the quiet pleasures of this green oasis.

We are aware of the need for a quality hotel in the centre of Horsham but we believe that the Park should not be sacrificed in this way. Various suggestions have been made in the past but commercial gain has always triumphed over common sense. The Park must be preserved as a quiet haven for the people of Horsham to enjoy, and not be built over. It would be better to convert some empty offices, as has been done elsewhere.

Just before Christmas, Horsham District Council published its draft plan for the future of Horsham Park. The children’s nursery dates from requisition in the Second World War and the buildings are life-expired. The expectation is that West Sussex County Council will remove the buildings and the area will return to parkland. This has been the message from The Horsham Society for many years and fully accords with the expectations of the Friends of Horsham Park. We believe that it is irresponsible of a District Councillor to suggest anything else.

 The West Sussex County times has produced a video: click here to view8