Exhibition makes case for nature reserve in Crawley Local Plan

The exhibition entitled 'Nature's Home' is being organised by The Ifield Society and will be held from midday to 5pm at St Margaret's Lychgate Centre in Ifield village.

It will feature displays of pictures, maps, articles and four TV screens showing photographs and videos sent in by members of the community showing local wildlife and natural habitats. The society would like to see a Gatwick Local Nature Reserve created and says it would be a viable and practical alternative to Homes England's 'West of Ifield' plan to build 10,000 houses.

The deadline for the consultation period for the Crawley 2035 Submission draft Local Plan ends on Monday (March 2). Crawley Borough Council has been seeking views on the plan. This is the next stage, known as Regulation 19, in producing a new Local Plan for the borough.

The plan sets out planning policies to guide development in the borough from 2020 to 2035. It sets out the amount and location of housing and employment development, supports the growth of the town centre as a new neighbourhood, ensures that the right infrastructure is in place to meet the needs of Crawley’s growing population, and protects the important historic assets and open spaces that are valued by residents and visitors.

Consultation on the Draft Local Plan for Horsham District Council from 2019-2036 will end at 5pm on March 30. During this period residents can comment on any aspect of the plan including potential development sites.

Ifield Society members such as David Moon will be on hand to help and advise. For more information visit http://ifieldsociety.org.uk/