Richard W Symonds
Richard W Symonds
8 May, 2025
Opinion

Letter to the editor: Full public scrutiny of Homes England's West of Ifield planning application

Homes England's Head of Planning & Enabling Chris Bearton states ['Homes England to submit application for 3,000 homes in West of Ifield', Crawley Observer/West Sussex County Times, May 7/8]:

'First phase' of Homes England's West of Ifield masterplan of a 3,000 housing development - 'The Meadows' - showing Ifield Brook Meadows Local Green Space [LGS] and proposed houses built right up to the banks of Ifield Brook - running north-south.

"Even if the [Horsham] Local Plan falls away, we're still anticipating to submit that planning application"

Bring it on, Mr Bearton!

This Head of the Government property developer further states:

"It [the West of Ifield planning application] would still go through the level of scrutiny and assessment that any other planning application would need to"

Indeed, Mr Bearton, and more so as you are a housing quango appointed by a Government elected by us, the people - and accountable to us, the people.

So, we look forward to fully scrutinising and assessing your West of Ifield operations - not least your land deal in and around Ifield Golf Club ['Homes England plans £3bn Crawley garden village', Estates Gazette International - EGI, July 29 2019].

Richard W. Symonds

The Ifield Society

Ifield Street, Ifield Village

Crawley, West Sussex