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Muggeridge Field
Your ref FR14(11/12)
20 October 2011
Head of Legal and Democratic Services
West Sussex County Council
County Hall
West Street
Chichester
PO19 1RQ
Dear Sir
Land at Athelstan Way, Horsham West Sussex
With reference to your notice under section 122(2A),
Local Government Act 1972 in the West Sussex County
Times on the 29th September 2011, I am writing to
register our objection to the proposal to appropriate
land at Athelstan Way from education to planning
purposes.
The Horsham Society is one of the largest amenity
societies in the south of England with over 1250
members.
The Society's purpose is to watch over the interests
of the town, to guard its heritage, to promote good
planning and design and to speak up when it believes
decisions detrimental to Horsham are being considered.
We consider that the proposed appropriation is wrong
in principle and would be seriously detrimental to
this sensitive site and the townspeople’s enjoyment of
the countryside for informal recreation.
This land has been easily accessible from surrounding
fields for many years due to the lack of fencing and
used by local residents and others for dog walking and
other informal recreation. More recently it has, de
facto, been treated as part of the Chesworth Farm
country park as is confirmed in Horsham District
Council’s Chesworth Farm Management Plan 2007 (para
7.6).
Furthermore, there is evidence that the field itself,
and the surrounding area of Chesworth Farm, is home to
nesting Skylarks, a species of high conservation
concern. As you will be aware the County Council has
a statutory duty to conserve biodiversity.
Our understanding is that in law to make this
appropriation the County Council must be able to
demonstrate that the purpose is in the interests of
the proper planning of the area. This is most
certainly not the case. Not only has there been no
consultation with local people, the District Council
is opposed to any development of this site, and the
papers prepared by the County Council’s officers make
it clear that the proposal is designed in part at
least to frustrate local people in their desire to
protect this land.
We
therefore believe the proposal to be wrong, and the
process to be contrary to the intentions of the
legislation.
If the land is no longer required for education
purposes the public should be consulted with a view to
it being formally rescheduled as public open space in
recognition of its current use.
Yours faithfully
John Steele
Secretary, Planning Sub Committee |
