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Horsham Town Landscape
Assessment
Introduction
 Horsham
urban area has expanded considerably over recent
years. In years to come it is likely that pressure
for growth will continue and it seems appropriate to
examine the constraints that should be taken into
consideration. The pressures will certainly affect the
character of the central area – the number of shops
and work places that are required for example.
However an important
aspect of the town’s character is its relationship to
the surrounding countryside and its landscape features
whether one is looking in towards the town or looking
out from it.
As a first step therefore
a simple visual examination has been carried out to
determine which open areas and landscape features in
the surrounding countryside contribute to the town’s
character. These are illustrated on the attached
diagram.
Click on the image above for full size view.
Perhaps the most
interesting and important conclusion that becomes
obvious very quickly is that if these landscape
features are to be retained they will in future
constrain the town’s growth. The present Horsham
urban area cannot grow without adversely affecting its
character. The effect will be that either new
settlements or the expansion of existing towns and
villages within the District Council area will need to
take additional growth in the future.
The areas of constraint
are set out below and shown on the attached Diagram.
Landscape Areas of Constraint
1 North of the
Horsham Bypass (A264)
A flat area of trees and
fields that form the foreground to Hurst Hill, the
high land to the north on which sits Rusper village.
To the east the railway and Crawley Road give views of
a well treed and rolling landscape. Perhaps the most
important aspect of this land is that it formed the
main element of the Strategic Gap between Horsham and
Crawley.
Whilst Strategic Gaps are
no longer used as a formal planning restraint the gap
between Horsham and Crawley remains a valuable element
in the landscape, preventing the joining of the two
major settlements. The District Council has the
opportunity to reinstate and extend the strategic gap
between Horsham town and Crawley and adopt it as a
planning policy. This would, we believe, receive
considerable public support.
2 The Area of
Outstanding Natural Beauty
To the east of the town
this forest and field area is a long established and
well identified area of high land the boundaries of
which establishes and identifies the eastern boundary
of the town. The area includes the western part of St
Leonards Forest and Leechpool Wood together with the
Hammerponds and fish ponds. Coolhurst House and its
grounds are included.
3 Denne Hill
and its foreground landscape
Denne Hill together with
Tower Hill form a strong visual boundary of high land
to the south of the town. The Valley of the River Arun
runs along the north side of those hills and it is the
valley itself, including land on the north side,
which forms the boundary of the town.
4 The line of the A24, together with the
open land of the Warnham Wildlife Park and Rookwood
Golf Course
The land on the west side
of Horsham includes the Horsham Bypass, Warnham Pond
and its associated rivers which are tributaries of the
River Arun to the south of the town. To the west of
the Bypass is Warnham Court surrounded by the well
landscaped Deer Park.
5 Land to the South of the expanded area
of Broadbridge Heath
This area is established
by the boundaries of the proposed development south of
Broadbridge Heath and west of the A24. It includes
the important high land of Wickhurst Hill.
Roy Worskett RIBA MRTPI (Retd)
November 2010
Covering letter
to Horsham District Councillors»
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