Crawley Down
Neighbourhood Plan
Scoping Report
for
Sustainability Appraisal
Issue 4a
Date – July 2nd 2013
Crawley Down
Neighbourhood Plan
Contents
Crawley Down Neighbourhood Plan ...................................................................................................... 1
INTRODUCTION....................................................................................................................................... 1
STATEMENT OF COMMON VISION ......................................................................................................... 2
METHODOLOGY ...................................................................................................................................... 5
Sustainable Development ................................................................................................................... 5
POLICY CONTEXT..................................................................................................................................... 5
Location .............................................................................................................................................. 7
Nature conservation ........................................................................................................................... 7
Landscape and Soils .......................................................................................................................... 10
Key characteristics ............................................................................................................................ 10
Heritage ( courtesy of Jeremy Hodgkinson ) .................................................................................... 12
Postscript ...................................................................................................................................... 15
Air and climate .................................................................................................................................. 15
Pollution............................................................................................................................................ 15
UTILITIES ............................................................................................................................................... 16
Water Services .................................................................................................................................. 16
Water Supply ................................................................................................................................ 16
Wastewater .................................................................................................................................. 17
Telecoms ........................................................................................................................................... 18
Electricity .......................................................................................................................................... 18
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HUMAN CHARACTERISTICS .................................................................................................................. 18
AFFORDABLE/SOCIAL HOUSING........................................................................................................... 20
EDUCATION .......................................................................................................................................... 21
ROADS AND TRANSPORT ..................................................................................................................... 24
Gatwick Airport ................................................................................................................................ 26
OTHER INFRASTRUCTURE .................................................................................................................... 27
Retail ................................................................................................................................................ 27
Health ............................................................................................................................................... 28
Open and Green Spaces ................................................................................................................... 28
Cross Border Co-operation........................................................................................................... 30
Facilities............................................................................................................................................ 31
Sports ........................................................................................................................................... 31
Community ....................................................................................................................................... 32
Clubs and Organisations................................................................................................................... 32
ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS ............................................................................................................. 32
KEY SUSTAINABILITY ISSUES ................................................................................................................. 34
SWOT assessment ............................................................................................................................ 34
Key issues ......................................................................................................................................... 36
OBJECTIVES FOR THE SUSTAINABILITY APPRAISAL .............................................................................. 37
Sustainability Objectives .................................................................................................................. 38
NEXT STEPS........................................................................................................................................... 39
Appendix A Summary of Plans and Programmes................................................................................. 40
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INTRODUCTION
The purpose of this Scoping Report is to identify the sustainability issues within Crawley Down and to set
objectives for the Sustainability Appraisal of the Crawley Down Neighbourhood Plan that can be used to
determine how the Neighbourhood Plan will look to address some or all of these issues. The Crawley
Down Neighbourhood Plan objectives are in compliance with the Strategic Objectives of the Mid Sussex
District Plan, and consistent with local and national planning policy, while taking into account the local
circumstances and needs of Crawley Down.
This document will be the subject of consultation with Mid Sussex District Council, the Environment
Agency, Natural England, and English Heritage before the draft Neighbourhood Plan and accompanying
Sustainability Appraisal are published in summer 2013. The outcome of the consultation on this scoping
report may result in further issues being identified. In accordance with European and national legislation
Neighbourhood Plans must be subject to a Sustainability Appraisal for consultation with environmental
bodies and other relevant stakeholders. The commitment to the achievement of sustainable
development has been set out in legislation introduced at both European and national level. In 2004 the
European Directive on Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) was implemented in the UK. This sets
out the requirement for SEA, which has been incorporated into the SA process. Section 39 of the
Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 requires Local Development Documents, to be prepared
with a view to contributing to the achievement of sustainable development. This Sustainability Appraisal
incorporates the SEA process - for ease, this report is referred to as the Sustainability Appraisal from
now on in this document, although incorporates the elements required for SEA. Sustainable
Development is about ensuring a better quality of life for everyone, now and for generations to come. It
is about considering the long-term environmental, social and economic issues and impacts in an
integrated and balanced way. The UK Government has set five guiding principles to achieve the
sustainable development purpose. These principles form the basis for policy in the UK and are as
follows:
•
Living within Environmental limits
•
Ensuring a strong, healthy and just society
•
Building a strong, stable and sustainable economy
•
Promoting good governance
•
Using sound science responsibly
One of the means by which sustainable development can be achieved is through the land-use planning
process. The Crawley Down Neighbourhood Plan which is currently being prepared, will need to be in
conformity with the Mid Sussex District Plan. It will be adopted under the framework of the District Plan
and will comprise part of the planning policy framework for the district. The Neighbourhood Plan can
help to achieve sustainable development as it aims to ensure that development meets the needs of
people living and working in the parish, while at the same time helping to ensure that adverse
environmental impact is minimised. This Sustainability Appraisal will help inform the Neighbourhood
Plan to ensure that the plan prepared is the most sustainable possible, given all alternative options for
the plan's overall strategy and the policies within it to deliver the strategy.
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STATEMENT OF COMMON VISION
Our vision for Crawley Down for the next 15-20 years is to maintain and enhance the quality of life for all
sections of the community, ensuring above all that Crawley Down retains its village character.
We wish to make our neighbourhood an even better place to live, work and visit. We wish to sustain or
enhance the beauty and vitality of our neighbourhood and ensure that our infrastructure is capable of
supporting us.
We must ensure that any increased population also brings enhanced infrastructure and addresses
existing shortfalls.
Crawley Down is a village and wishes to remain a village. As such, future planning should respect the
reasons why people want to live in Crawley Down:
•
Preservation of village boundary and any defined local gaps
•
Education - a place in the village school should be a right for all village children.
•
Protect and enhance Community spirit
•
Provide facilities for local youth
•
Protect and enhance Countryside
•
Protect and enhance hedgerows
•
Protect and enhance Environment
•
Protect and enhance open/green spaces –
o Register open/green areas for community use
o Identify and protect common land.
•
Protect and enhance Woodland.
o A positive tree policy which sets buffer zones for established trees and requires
replacement trees for those felled/damaged.
o De Facto designation of ancient woodland and associated buffer zone as part of a local
gap.
•
Support local economy and encourage local employment
•
Support affordable/social housing for those in genuine need of housing within the village, but
only within the other constraints of maintaining the village and associated infrastructure
requirements.
•
Define policy on infill developments - privacy, sunlight, access, parking, in accordance with
neighbouring properties.
•
Prevent over-development
•
Integrated development
o Prevent “gated” communities within our community
o Ensure that any development is in accord with its proposed setting and of good quality.
o Recommend restrictive covenants on permitted development for new developments in
accordance with village vision
o Limit the scale of any individual development
o Control rate of development
2
•
Set appropriate design and build quality standards
•
Control/limit traffic
•
Address crime and anti-social behaviour
In the event of a dispute arising as to the interpretation or application of the plan, it should be resolved
in the context and intent of the expressed Statement of Common Vision.
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Figure 1 Extent of Village Limits (MSDC District Plan)
4
METHODOLOGY
The Neighbourhood Plan covers the whole of Crawley Down, and is being prepared by a Steering
Committee. To inform the Sustainability Appraisal of the Neighbourhood Plan, several working groups
were set up to collect data about Crawley Down as it is today, on demographic, sites/landscape and
infrastructure characteristics and issues. The majority of the District wide data has already been
collected for the Sustainability Appraisal for the Mid Sussex District Plan and had been obtained from
the various sources best placed to provide accurate data in their relevant area of expertise. This
information has enabled the environmental, social and economic issues facing both the district and
Crawley Down to be established.
Mid Sussex District Council has published a set of 18 Sustainability Objectives in its 'Sustainability
Appraisal Consultation Draft, November 2011' and this document uses and expands upon those that are
relevant to the issues relevant to Crawley Down. In particular, local issues and objectives have been
identified, and the indicators used to measure these are from local sources at a local scale where
possible. These will help assess the sustainability issues facing Crawley Down, to be addressed where
possible in the Neighbourhood Plan.
Sustainable Development
Sustainability is a difficult term to define. The most widely used definition is taken from the Brundtland
Report, which was produced by the United Nations World Commission on Environment and
Development in 1987. It defines sustainable development as:
"development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future
generations to meet their own needs."
The aim of Sustainable Development therefore, is to enable everyone to satisfy their basic needs and
enjoy a better quality of life, without compromising the quality of life of future generations. It is about
considering long-term social, economic and environmental issues and impacts in an integrated and
balanced way. It is also about preserving standard and quality of life.
POLICY CONTEXT
The Crawley Down Neighbourhood Plan will need to comply with both national and local planning
policies.
The Mid Sussex District Plan Sustainability Appraisal in Appendix A, reviews all programmes, policies
strategies guidance and Initiatives that have influenced the development of the District Plan. The
Crawley Down Neighbourhood Plan and Sustainability Appraisal will need to be in conformity with the
District Plan and it is therefore not proposed to review in this scoping report all international, national
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and local documents that are relevant. As per the MSDC District Plan, this report and subsequent plan
will take 2011 as the baseline.
Appendix A at the end of this report, provides a summary of the local programmes, plans and other
documents which influence the Neighbourhood Plan, in addition to those outlined above. Key objectives
and indicators have been identified from the District Plan and these have been incorporated into the
sustainability framework and used to inform baseline data and the identification of key issues.
The aims, objectives and indicators from these policy documents have been used to develop the
Crawley Down Neighbourhood Plan sustainability objectives set out in this Scoping Report. It should be
noted that the policy context for the Crawley Down Neighbourhood Plan Sustainability Appraisal is not
static. Therefore, as further relevant plans or programmes are developed, they will be reviewed and
incorporated within the assessment at future stages of publication of this Sustainability Appraisal report.
LOCAL CHARACTERISTICS AND ISSUES
A collection of information on environmental, social and economic characteristics of Crawley Down is
required to provide a basis for predicting and monitoring the effects of the policies of the
Neighbourhood Plan. The legislation suggests that the Sustainability Appraisal should describe the
baseline environment in terms of a series of topics which are set out below.
Figure 2 Area to be covered by the Neighbourhood plan with village highlighted
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Location
Crawley Down is located to the East of the B2028 which forms a very strong and defensible village
boundary and provides the main exits from the village. The only other exit is via Felbridge and the
A264/A22 junction to the East. Surrounding countryside has previously been designated as a strategic
gap in order to prevent coalescence with East Grinstead and Crawley. As an initial position, the plan
should maintain such policies.
Nature conservation
Crawley Down covers around 8.84 square kilometres of attractive countryside, a significant portion of
which lies within the Ashdown Forest 7km zone of influence. There is a rich and varied pattern of
habitats, species and biodiversity, recognized by the extensive and varied landscape and nature
conservation designations that cover land within Crawley Down.
•
SSSI: none
•
LNR: none
•
Registered Parks and Gardens: Worth Way linear country park
•
SNCI: 2 off, 33 Ha in total
•
Strategic flood risk assessment (Flood Zones 2/3)1:
•
Ancient Woodland: 162 Ha
10.7 Ha
The ward has two designated Sites of Nature Conservation Importance (SNCI) covering 33 hectares in
total. One in Lobbs Wood and another associated with the pond plus Worth Way (see Figure 3, page 8).
There are also traditional orchards at Grange Farm, abutting Kiln Wood on the SW corner, Brandon
House (off Wallage Lane) and between Furnace pond and the burial ground in Cuttinglye Wood –
approximately 1.07 Ha in total.
SNCIs are designated for their local flora and fauna interest and value.
These sites incorporate semi-natural woodland, conifer and mixed plantations, copses, hedges, neutral
grassland, species rich grassland, heathland, and streams and ponds. Amongst the species found within
the area are several identified in the Sussex Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP), which are also subject to
protection under British and European legislation.
These include Kingfishers, Nightingales, Adders, Palmate Newts, Water Shrews,Orange-tip and Holly
Blue Butterflies, Small-Leaved Limes, Betonys and Common Spotted Orchids.
1
Source MSDC GIS
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Figure 3 Country Parks and Sites of Nature Conservation Interest (SNCI)
8
Figure 4 Mid-Sussex and the Asdown Forest 7km Zone of Influence
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Figure5 The Ashdown Forest 7km Zone of Influence as it affects Crawley Down Village
Landscape and Soils
Crawley Down is situated on a sandstone plateau at 125m above sea level, dropping away to 105m in a
valley to the East and high points of 137m to the South at Sandhill and 130m at the C of E school, which
merges with the clays of the low weald plain to the north.
Key characteristics
Headwater drainage of the Eden, Medway and Mole Rivers originates here, the significant little valleys
of the streams bounding the plateau to the south and dissecting it to the north east, each river flowing
in a different direction..
Significant woodland cover, a substantial portion of it ancient, including some larger woods and a dense
network of hedgerows and shaws, creates a sense of enclosure, the valleys secluded.
•
Small assemblies of assorted pastures contrast with blocks of larger, modern fields.
•
Heathland cover is remnant, most of the former heaths today covered with regenerated
woodland.
10
•
Busy lanes and roads, particularly the A264 through Copthorne along the Crawley-East Grinstead
corridor and the B2038 running north into the area from Turners Hill.
•
Tree and hedge lined roads.
•
Pockets of rich biodiversity concentrated in the valleys, heathland, and woodland.
•
Rural settlement pattern dispersed and scanty, with expanded settlements at Copthorne and
Crawley Down, ribbon development along some roads, and plotlands in woodland settings.
•
Mill sites and hammer ponds.
•
Varied traditional rural buildings built with diverse materials including timber framing and
varieties of local brick and tile hanging.
•
Designed landscapes and exotic treescapes associated with large country houses.
Figure 6 Principal Habitats of Mid Sussex
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Geologically, the area is a continuation of the High Weald Hastings Beds. The underlying rocks are
mainly Upper Tunbridge Wells sandstone and clay with scattered deposits of head.
The deepish gill streams cutting into the plateau help to define its boundaries. Crawley Down perches
above the marked slopes falling at Fen Place Mill to the high Medway stream (loaded with hammer
ponds, which are also numerous elsewhere on the plateau streams), Rowfant, secure in a secluded
valley to the west. To the north, there is an intricate valley landscape with hammerponds along
Felbridge Water, to the south of Hedgecourt Lake, just in Surrey.
Other elements in the landscape include large overhead power lines, their dominance variable
depending on the lie of the land and on the openness of the landscape. Part of the great Southern
Railway, the former railway line from East Grinstead to Three Bridges (opened 1855, with a station at
Rowfant) was scrapped in the 'sixties by Lord Beeching and today is a pleasant cycle and walkway,
crossed by the Sussex Border Path. Both the Worth Way and the Sussex Border Path pass through
Crawley Down village. The degree of development in the area means that the fringe between the urban
areas and the countryside is long. Problems associated with the rural urban fringe include underused
farmland, the fragmentation and degradation of the woodland and field pattern, access pressures from
nearby residential areas and creeping development.
Heritage ( courtesy of Jeremy Hodgkinson )
Crawley Down means "the hill near the pasture where the crows gather."
As a village, it did not exist until late in the 19th century; before that the name referred to a rectangular
stretch of uncultivated common land, surrounded by fields and woods. The road from Lingfield to
Turners Hill formed the western boundary of the common, with Sandhill Lane forming the eastern edge.
Archaeological evidence shows that the area has always been a popular place to settle. Heavily wooded
from early times, Mesolithic, Neolithic and Iron Age people made their way through local forests,
creating clearings and leaving a trail of hunter gatherer tools. Further evidence from Roman times
suggests that the Weald was much used with a Roman military road constructed to the East of the
village, as a direct link from the coast to London. The road would have been used for the transport of
timber, charcoal and iron which was made in a number of places within reach of the road. A small iron
smelting furnace was in operation near the bottom of Hophurst Hill.
Saxon times saw the beginning of the clearance of the great Wealden forest, although the densest parts
of the Weald remained thinly populated for many centuries.
At first it was opened up as summer pasture for the communities nearer the coast. On this basis the
eastern part of Worth parish, known as Burhlea, was granted, in 765, to the monastic College of South
Malling, near Lewes.
12
Figure 7 The Crawley Down area circa 1816
In the Domesday Book of 1086, Burleigh, or Berchelie as it was then spelt, occupied one and a half hides
or about 180 acres and the clearance of woodland may have proceeded with greater momentum from
this period, for within two centuries several landholders in Burleigh were being taxed under the Lay
Subsidy in the 14th century and names began to appear such as William atte Sandhille and Alice
Hoppere; evidence, perhaps, of Sandhill and Hophurst farms being cleared at this time.
Burleigh, however, never seems to have been more than a tract of land with scattered agricultural
settlements, despite being referred to in the same terms as more obvious villages such as Crawley and
Lindfield.
The first mention that Crawley Down itself receives is in 1274, as a passing reference in connection with
the road being blocked nearby. For the next seven hundred years it was merely manorial waste. The
Manor of Burleigh Arches was absorbed into the Manor of South Malling Lindfield and after the
dissolution of the College in 1545, passed into private ownership. There were two other manors in the
area, though: to the west of the Turners Hill road was the Manor of Ditchling, and to the north and east
of Cuttingly Wood (once a hunting park) lay the Manor of Hedgecourt. It is in the records of the latter
that evidence appears of the iron furnace that was built, in what is now Furnace Wood, in about 1567.
Having been heavily exploited in Roman times, the iron ore in the Wealden rocks took on great
importance when blast furnaces were introduced from the continent in the 1490s. Within a century a
thriving industry was established in Sussex. The Myllwood Furnace, as it was called, was operated by
John Thorpe, who lived at Gibbshaven, and worked in conjunction with the Woodcock Hammer (now
the Wiremill, near Felbridge). The furnace seems to have closed down early in the 17th century.
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During the 1600s some small parcels of land began to be enclosed around the edge of Crawley Down.
One or two more farms had been established in the previous century, such as Down Park Farm (then
called Shepherds Hole) and Burleigh Cottage (then Sandhill Gate), both on the edge of the common. But
the character of the area had not changed. Similarly, on Snowhill, to the north of Crawley Down, at that
time part of Copthorne Common, enclosures had been taking place reflecting a rise in the number of
smallholders. This continued into the next century when an important change took place. The old farm
of Clarke's was demolished in the mid 1700's and replaced by the Grange; probably built for Joseph
Wright, a London silversmith, it was the first substantial mansion built in the area for 200 years and an
indication of the pattern of growth in the ensuing century.
Following a change in the ownership of the Manor of Hedgecourt whereby the Gage family sold to the
Evelyns, what became known as the Warren Furnace began operations again, this time in the charge of
Edward Raby, a London ironmonger. He probably leased the furnace in about 1758 to take advantage of
the profits to be made supplying guns to the Board of Ordnance during the war then being waged
against the French. The loss of contracts at the end of hostilities may have contributed to his
bankruptcy, but Raby soon recovered, leased Gravetye furnace and, as well as working in iron, the
traditional material of the Weald, expanded into casting bronze guns. However, the furnace, like the
others in Sussex, succumbed to the more efficient competition of the Midland and Scottish founders and
closed down in 1774.
The wild and remote nature of Crawley Down, and its closeness to London, briefly made it a popular
venue for the illegal sport of prizefighting in the first quarter of the 19th century, with huge and
boisterous crowds gathering to watch the bouts. But more civilising influences were at work.
The rising population and the consequent demand for land led to further piecemeal enclosure of
Crawley Down and Copthorne Common, of which Squire's Cottage is an example, and with the parish
church four miles away at Worth, a chapel was built on part of the Down in 1843. The need for houses
led inevitably to a search for suitable brick earth and brickmaking began later in the decade on the site
of the Royal Oak public house. So much of the common had been enclosed by this date that
representations were made to the Earl of Chichester, the Lord of the Manor, to enclose all of Crawley
Down. This was done in 1848. Within seven years the railway from Three Bridges to East Grinstead had
been built. A dispute with the owner of the Grange coupled with the building of Rowfant station delayed
a station at Crawley Down for five years, but the development of the brickworks required an efficient
transport system. The effect of the opening of Grange Road Station was to attract several wealthy
businessmen to the area who set up large establishments, particularly at Down Park and Tiltwood, both
of which were built in the 1860s. The need for a local infrastructure for these houses and for the
brickworks led to more building, and slowly a village began to emerge, principally along Bowers Place,
Sandy Lane, Hophurst Lane and the Turners Hill Road.
The sale of the Grange Estate in 1931 opened up for development much of the land in the centre of the
village between Station Road and the Turners Hill Road. After the Second World War, the closure of the
brickworks, which once stretched from Tiltwood to Sandhill Lane, and of the railway, coupled with the
dividing-up of many of the local estates and their large houses - all which had been factors in the
village's growth - made room for the building of Burleighwood and the expansion of Crawley Down in
the 1970s and 80s.
14
Postscript
On their website 2, MSDC note
“Although there had been some earlier development, the village did not establish itself until the
arrival of the Railway in the late nineteenth century. The line between East Grinstead and Three
Bridges was then completed, and a station opened at Grange Road, Crawley Down.
The village developed further in the 1930s but the real expansion occurred after the closure of
the local brickyard and the termination of the local railway services after ‘Beechings axe’ had
fallen in the late 1960s. Land for housing was released in the 1965 Village Plan and after that
time the village grew rapidly, in particular with the development of the Burleigh Wood estate.
Growth was so large, in fact, that the population of Crawley Down more than doubled between
the years 1971 and 1981. Since then planning policies have been successful in restricting major
new developments to the present village boundaries.”
Over development and associated infrastructure deficiencies have become significant concerns for
today’s residents.
Air and climate
The main sources of atmospheric pollution arise from the proximity of Gatwick Airport Flight Paths, and
busy roads, particularly the B2028 and A264. The climate of the parish is described as a local variant of
the British sub oceanic climate.
Pollution
Under “Pollution”, the Environment Agency notes the proximity of Waste Transfer facilities at Burleigh
Oaks Farm, Waste Treatment at Rowfant Business Centre and Waste landfilling at Chestnut Lodge,
Furnace Farm Road, Felbridge.
There have been three recorded sewage pollution incidents in the past 10 years 3
•
19-Jul-2004, Incident number
•
26-Aug-2006 , Incident number 430621, significant impact to water
•
27-Aug-2006, Incident number 430708, significant impact to water
2
3
252149, minor impact to air, major impact to water
http://www.midsussex.gov.uk/7748.htm
Source – Environment Agency
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UTILITIES
Water Services
Water Supply
The positioning of Crawley Down adjacent to the Surrey border means that a number of water
companies are involved in supply water services to the area. These include:
•
Southern Water
•
South East Water
•
Thames Water
Water supply to the area is sourced from aquifers and river extraction with only 8% from reservoirs.
Figure 8 Groundwater Safeguard Zone
16
Crawley Down lies within a Groundwater Safeguard Zone (see Figure 8 4). These non-statutory Safeguard
Zones are areas where activities can impact adversely on the quality of water abstracted in the Drinking
Water Protected Area (DrWPA). Action to address pollution is targeted in these zones so that extra
treatment of raw water can be avoided. Safeguard Zones are a joint initiative between the Environment
Agency and water companies. Safeguard Zones are one of the main tools for delivering the Drinking
Water Protected Area objectives of the Water Framework Directive.
Security of water supply has been highlighted as an issue for the South East. Crawley Down is no
exception. Compulsory water meters have been fitted within the village and a pressure reducer fitted to
reduce strain on ageing pipework.
Wastewater
Wastewater treatment in Mid Sussex is provided by two companies: Southern Water are responsible for
the wastewater treatment for the vast majority of the District, including the three main towns of
Burgess Hill, East Grinstead and Haywards Heath. A small section to the north- west of the District
(bordering Crawley Borough's administrative area) is the responsibility of Thames water. This includes
the villages of Copthorne, part of Crawley Down and Turners Hill as well as the area known as Crabbet
Park, which has been subject to investigation through the Core Strategy as a potential location for
strategic development in the period up to 2026.
Southern Water is responsible for the wastewater treatment throughout the rest of the District. In
terms of the proposed developments throughout Mid Sussex, there are a number of Wastewater
Treatment Works that could be impacted by increased housing numbers.
It is considered that there is insufficient sewerage capacity planned to deliver more than one further
new neighbourhood in this area. 5
Some older parts of the village used black pitch fibre sewage pipework. That has a lifespan of about 25
years and has been in situ for approximately twice that time.
There is a particular issue in obtaining commitment/planning information from the water and sewerage
providers in that current funding regimes only operate over five year periods; therefore it is difficult to
guarantee capacity being available over longer periods. As has also been noted in MSDC Planning
Committee meetings, the current legislation is such that it discourages utility providers from disclosing
issues at the application/approval stage.
4
© Environment Agency copyright and database rights 2013. © Ordnance Survey Crown copyright. All rights
reserved. Environment Agency, 100026380. Contains Royal Mail data © Royal Mail copyright and database
right 2013
5
Crawley Local Plan and Atkins (Southern Water) reference S/MS/2012/00672
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Telecoms
The telephone system has been recently upgraded to incorporate fibre optic cable from the Copthorne
exchange to the village and to key cabinets within the village. Further distribution from the cabinets to
individual homes is via conventional cabling. Aluminium cabling is used in parts of the village and this
can prove unreliable.
At present, it is mainly those subscribing to FTTC (Fibre To The Cabinet) services who receive the benefit
of fibre optic lines from the exchange.
Cable TV services run through the village, but without access for residents. TV reception (satellite and
terrestrial) can be patchy in some areas of the village.
Electricity
Although distribution within the village is predominantly via underground cables, supply to the village is
by overhead lines and consequently power cuts are not uncommon. A recent application for electrical
supply by the Football Club revealed insufficient capacity in the network for 30kVA of floodlighting
without additional local infrastructure.
HUMAN CHARACTERISTICS
Crawley Down Ward is part of Worth Parish - Copthorne and Worth ward comprising the remainder.
Worth is a not a deprived area when measured against national statistics. However some residents find
it difficult to access the benefits enjoyed by others, and there are some elements of the community,
particularly the elderly and those who live alone, who do not enjoy the same level of prosperity or
access to services. The population of the parish was 9,888 at the date of the Census in 2001. Worth
represented 7.76% of the total Mid Sussex population of 127,378 and Crawley Down Ward. 89% of
dwellings in Mid Sussex were owner occupied in 2001, similar to Crawley Down.
Crawley Down Ward has an area of 884 hectares (3.4 square miles) with a population density of 5.99
persons per hectare. This is significantly higher than the MSDC figure of 3.81 persons per hectare. The
mean age in the parish in 2001 was 38.9, which is close to the average age in England as a whole (39).
This suggests that Worth is a popular place for families to live, perhaps due to excellent local schools
and despite limited employment in the ward, being within reach of major employers in Crawley/Gatwick
and further afield such as Brighton and London.
The significantly higher than average commute distance is probably due to lack of significant
employment within the village. This, combined with a shortage of suitable public transport is reflected in
the much higher car/van use and lower train/foot travel.
18
The number of households in the Ward with one person living alone was 382 (7.2% of population). This
is significantly lower than the MSDC figure of 10.97%. Population density is much higher than the
average for MSDC at 5.99 people per Hectare cf 3.81 for MSDC overall.
Nursery and preschool education is available in Crawley Down village. Crawley Down Village C of E
school caters for children aged 4-11 years of age and has a capacity of 315 children. Donkey Field
pre-school (a registered charity) accepts children aged between two and five years. A maximum of 24
children can be accommodated at any one time, though the limited individual daily hours do allow a
greater number to be registered overall.
Outside the ward, secondary schooling is predominantly provided at Imberhorne School in East
Grinstead.
Sixth form colleges are located at Crawley, Horsham and Reigate.
Copthorne Prep School and Worth College provides fee paying education from nursery to age 18.
Education aspects are covered in more detail separately (page 20)
Table 1 Area Statistics
Statistics 2001
6
Population
Area (Hectares)
Density (Number of Persons per Hectare)
Persons living alone
Mean age
6
Copthorne &
Crawley Down
Worth Ward
Ward
4,580
3.59% of MSDC
population
1,111
3.33% of MSDC
5308
4.17% of MSDC
population
884
2.65% of MSDC
Worth Parish
9,888
7.76% of MSDC
population
1995
5.97% of MSDC
4.12
5.99
4.96
108% denser than 157% denser than 130% denser than
MSDC
MSDC
MSDC
341
7.45% of
population
382
7.20% of
population
38.9
723
7.31% of
population
MSDC
127,378
33,402
3.81
13,970
10.97% of
population
39
Although available, 2011 census data has yet to be published at this level of detail for villages such as Crawley Down.
Iss 4a, 2/7/2013
19
Copthorne &
Crawley Down
Worth Ward
Ward
1,960
3.37% of MSDC
2015
3.47% of MSDC
3975
6.84% of MSDC
58,117
Average occupancy per dwelling
2.34
2.63
2.49
2.19
All people aged 16-74 in employment
2,466
3029
5495
64,744
People who work mainly at or from home
255
10.34%
328
10.83%
583
10.61%
6,920
10.69%
People aged 16-74 who usually travel to work
by: Train
135
5.47%
146
4.82%
281
5.11%
6,999
10.81%
People aged 16-74 who usually travel to work
by: Bus, Mini Bus or Coach
39
1.58%
72
2.38%
111
2.02%
943
1.46%
People aged 16-74 who usually travel to work
by: Motorcycle, Scooter or Moped
25
1.01%
28
0.92%
53
0.96%
536
0.83%
People aged 16-74 who usually travel to work
by: Driving a Car or Van
1,685
68.33%
2095
69.16%
3780
68.79%
38,244
59.07%
People aged 16-74 who usually travel to work
by: Passenger in a Car or Van
110
4.46%
154
5.08%
264
4.80%
3,286
5.08%
People aged 16-74 who travel to work by: Taxi
or Minicab
8
0.32%
6
0.20%
14
0.25%
215
0.33%
People aged 16-74 who usually travel to work
by: Bicycle
33
1.34%
27
0.89%
60
1.09%
970
1.50%
People aged 16-74 who usually travel to work
by: On foot
156
6.3%
94
3.1%
250
4.55%
6,270
9.68%
People aged 16-74 who usually travel to work
by: Other
16
0.65%
19
0.63%
35
0.64%
301
0.46%
Average distance (km) travelled to fixed place
of work
14.92
24.75
20.34
17.49
Statistics 2001
6
Total Number of Dwellings (Dwellings, Mar11)
Worth Parish
MSDC
AFFORDABLE/SOCIAL HOUSING
Crawley Down has a good record on social/affordable housing and the MSDC 2010 Rural Housing Survey
consistently placed Crawley Down in or around the upper quartile of performance rating of the nineteen
parishes assessed.
In 2009 a Housing Needs Survey for Worth was conducted by Action on Rural Sussex. The survey
identified 115 respondents who fulfilled the defined survey criteria – a local connection to the parish
and unable to meet their needs on the open market. No attempt was made to break down the figures
between Copthorne and Crawley Down.
The survey was used to justify the Beckers affordable/social housing development in Crawley Down. In
April 2010, when formally considering the Beckers application, MSDC derived the reduced estimate of
20
85 households with a local connection to Worth Parish and in need (classes A-D of the Common Housing
Register). Since that time, some 65 social/affordable dwellings have been built or are in progress, with a
further 14 having outline planning permission giving a total of 79 in Crawley Down against an overall
Worth Parish need of 85:
•
Beckers - 25 built and let
•
Sunnymead - 7 in progress
•
Buckley Place - 5 in progress
•
Grange Road - 28 in progress
•
Woodlands Close – 14 with outline planning permission
•
Plus Palmers development - not specifically designated as affordable, but the type of home for
which there is an apparent demand
For reference, in April 2009, Cllr Percival (Chair of Worth PC) reported back to Worth PC from an MSDC
meeting to discuss Rural Housing. MSDC had assessed overall need at that time to be less than 100
houses in Crawley Down and less than 50 in Copthorne for the period 2009-2026. Crawley Down alone
has accepted more than that in the intervening 4 years.
The Common Housing Register has been generally used as an indicator of need, but the figures derived
and commonly used have recently come into question. As a result, the Neighbourhood Plan Steering
Group has identified a need for a Local Housing Needs Assessment and, separately, Worth Parish Council
agreed to write to MSDC requesting a new survey (July 1st 2013).
EDUCATION
The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) rightly puts a premium on education and emphasises
the right of parental choice in schooling. This has a special resonance in villages where a place at the
village school is seen as an entitlement for village children. Quality of education is one of the most
commonly quoted reasons for moving to Crawley Down as is the strong village community. The village
primary school, Crawley Down Village C of E School, can rightly claim much of the credit for that
reputation, as can Imberhorne secondary school in East Grinstead for which the school is one of the
main village "feeder" schools. As with most village schools, it is a fundamental pillar in imbuing and
preserving that sense of community in its students and also a social hub. The informal social aspects for
young families cannot be underplayed.
The school was formed in September 2006 from the amalgamation of Burleigh Infant School and
Crawley Down CE Junior School. This was a downsizing exercise and part of the land was sold off for
housing. The original Junior School building was enlarged and refurbished in the following year to
provide a single 1.5 form entry primary school which was officially opened on 19th October 2007.
The school community room (The Burleigh Room) is used by the Donkey Field Pre-School . It has a
separate entrance/exit to the school and an enclosed garden for the children to play in. It was formed in
2001 following closure of the Burleigh Acorns Playgroup and is a committee-led non-profit making
registered charity (No.1035097), with a management committee comprising parents of pupils. Prior to
21
Iss 4a, 2/7/2013
2006 and refurbishment of the original Junior School, the Donkey Field pre-school used a temporary
classroom in the school grounds.
The pre-school is registered for maximum of 24 children aged between two and five years and has a
waiting list for places. The 2010 OFSTED report rated the quality of early years provision as
"Outstanding". The majority of children attending The Donkey Field Pre-School Group progress onto
Crawley Down Village C of E School - though attendance at the Donkey Field Pre-School does not
automatically entitle a child to a place at Crawley Down Village C of E School.
Downsizing of the Crawley Down primary school was undertaken at a time when the birth rate was
falling and indications were that the trend would continue. However, as noted in the WSCC publication
"Planning School Places 2013" (p20),
"the decrease in school pupil numbers that was experienced at the start of the Millennium is now
reversing i.e. pupil numbers are rising and are likely to continue to do so, though this will be
significantly affected by the proposed timing, size, tenure and location of future housing
development"
National research carried out by the National Audit Office (NAO) showed that the number of four-yearolds starting reception classes increased by around 16 per cent between 2006-7 and 2011-12, despite
the number of overall school places falling by five per cent between 2004 and 2010 due to school rolls
becoming smaller.
In Crawley Down, the school roll numbered 256 pupils on opening, but had risen to 302 by the time of
the 2010 OFSTED Report (October 2010) and is currently at 312 (99% of capacity). However, this rise was
attributed to more parents choosing to send their children to Crawley Down C of E School instead of to
Felbridge and Turners Hill primary schools. In terms of school roll, the terminology employed can be a
little confusing. . Authorities are required to maintain some "float" in the education system to allow for
joiners and WSCC officially rate schools as "full" when they reach 95% of capacity. The official capacity of
the school (derived from the Published Admissions Number (PAN) of 45) is 7 year groups, each with a
maximum capacity of 45 children ie 315 pupils. The school is rated as "full" once the roll reaches 95% of
capacity at 299 pupils. The school has been officially full since Autumn 2010. As the figures indicate,
some year groups are at capacity and there are a number of children waiting for places in specific year
groups.
The 2010 Ofsted Report rated the school as "Good" overall, but noted that:
"In the last three years, the higher than average number of pupils joining in Years 4, 5 and 6 has
had an adverse impact on pupils' results in national tests by the time they leave the school."
In "Planning School Places 2013" (p21) reference is made to research commissioned by West Sussex
County Council and the seven District/Borough Councils. The study, performed by Cognisant Research
Ltd, investigated the links between new housing and new children. It involved a targeted sample of
10046 dwellings across the county. 69.5% of the households questioned were the first occupiers.
22
The research indicated that in a number of areas of the county, pupil numbers are being generated by
types of housing previously thought not to necessarily house children. For instance, one bedroom flats.
Higher numbers of children are also indicated in social housing than in open market housing of a similar
size and type.
Both these factors were identified as having implications for pupil place planning in specific areas across
the county, especially if the level of social housing in new developments rises. The implication being
that, although occupants of the existing stock of housing will continue to generate new children as part
of the natural change cycle, new housing adds to this disproportionately. It leads to proportionately
more children per 1,000 new dwellings than per 1,000 existing dwellings - factor which has not
previously been taken into account.
This is of particular relevance to Crawley Down. The Rural Affordable Housing Strategy For Mid Sussex
(March 2007) discovered that, of the 24 rural parishes surveyed, only 5 were in a better position than
Worth in terms of "households in need per 100 households" and only 7 could offer a lower waiting time
than Crawley Down for vacancies to occur. Since 2007, a dedicated development of affordable housing
has been completed (25 off, Haven development), 28 are in progress as part of the Grange Rd
development, a further in progress 12 in Sunnymead and Buckley Place, 14 at appeal and another 25 at
the proposal stage.
In total there are some 150+ dwellings either in progress or with permission granted inside the
catchment area of the village school and in recent years there have been more applications for places in
the Reception Year than the 45 places available. WSCC had originally thought that the likely numbers of
children arising from the new house build would be offset by the falling birth rate and children currently
from 0 to 5 years.
The Surrey CC School Organisation Plan 2012, Appendix E noted that "The Independent Schools Council
(ISC) indicated that the last recession which started in 1991 affected the number of pupils in independent
schools, with a drop in numbers of 2.4%. This current recession appears to be deeper and has had a
greater effect on the financial sector. Applications for Reception (YR) places for September 2012 have
been significantly in excess of the forecast demand in several areas. A significant increase in demand for
secondary places is expected to occur as the effects of the recession become more pronounced." This is
also expected to impact Sussex Schools.
The school currently has 11 classrooms and an ICT suite. Children are taught in eleven mixed age-group
classes and in either ability or mixed ability groups, depending on the subject involved. There are three
classes of mixed year one/two children who cover Key Stage One of the National Curriculum and two
Reception classes, where pupils work as a separate group on Foundation Stage activities. There are
three classes of mixed year three/four children and three classes of mixed year five/six children who all
cover Key Stage Two of the National Curriculum. All classes are of mixed ability, gender and social
groups. Legislation limits maximum class size to 30 pupils in Key Stage 1 with a target to reduce the pupil
teacher ratio below this. Although the school has 11 classrooms the Published Admissions Number
(PAN) limits each year group to a maximum of 45 children. Thus, Year Groups 1 & 2, 3 & 4 and 5 & 6 are
each taught in three mixed age classes of 30 children. The Reception Year classes are taught as a single
year group in 2 smaller classes to ensure a good educational start for these children.
23
Iss 4a, 2/7/2013
The issue of under capacity was raised with WSCC Education department in connection with a planning
application (MSDC ref 12/00672/OUT). WSCC were pressed as to how the school may be extended after
such a significant downsizing and land sell-off. A plan would be to turn the school into a two class entry
with 2 reception classes, each of 30 children. (ie Increasing the school PAN to 60). This would eventually
result in each year group of 60 children being taught in 2 single year classes each of 30 children and
therefore a requirement for 14 classrooms. Although there is space for three additional classrooms to
be built within the current envelope there would also be a requirement for a second hall and other
facilities. WSCC have confirmed that they have no plans to extend Crawley Down Village C of E School.
WSCC paper "Planning School Places 2013" confirms that the only planned school extensions in the East
Grinstead area are Blackwell Primary and Baldwins Hill Primary. There is no indication as to whether this
takes into account or would otherwise accommodate the proposed 600 houses at East Grinstead.
Adjacent village primary schools do have a little spare capacity, but not sufficient to accommodate
planned housing. According to the latest information (Planning School Places 2013, for WSCC and DfE
for Surrey):
•
Fairway Infant School (Copthorne) is currently at 101% of capacity Turners Hill CE Primary School
is currently at 86% of capacity, but that only equates to 20 spare places over 7 year groups.
There are over 50 houses with planning permission inside the catchment area and an
expectation that the school would accommodate any effects of under capacity in Crawley Down.
Felbridge Primary School (Surrey CC) was oversubscribed by 8 at reception level in 2012 and is
currently at 98.5% of capacity (3 spare places)
•
The situation re secondary schooling is worse. Traditionally Crawley Down has acted as a feeder
school to Imberhorne School in East Grinstead with a comparatively few pupils attending
SackvilleSchool and fewer attending Hazelwick in Crawley ImberhorneSchool is currently at
100% of capacity Sackville School is currently at 97% of capacity Hazelwick School is currently at
99% of capacity
In summary, schooling is a very significant constraint on further development in the Crawley Down area
and must be addressed before any further development is permitted.
ROADS AND TRANSPORT
The close proximity of the M23, which bounds Worth Parish to the west, and the A264 which passes
north of Crawley Down village, means the Ward is adversely affected by the volume, nature and speed
of traffic. In particular, the A264 is the major conduit for traffic from East Grinstead and beyond
travelling to the M23 at Junction 10, with the B2028, Turners Hill Road used as a popular route to avoid
A22/A264 congestion. Developments in East Grinstead and, to a lesser extent at Burgess Hill are
expected to exacerbate this issue.
The Crawley Local Plan (draft) describes Crawley "as an attractive business location. As a result, there
are more jobs than the working age population of the borough and businesses within the town draw
their workforce from the wider area. Hence, both the inter and intra-transportation network are of
particular importance to the town." Crawley/Gatwick are major employers for residents of Crawley
Down.
24
The A264 is identified as a key route within the strategic road network for Crawley. Recent assessments
of the current performance of the road network in Crawley suggest that weekday peak period
congestion is regularly experienced on key links and at key junctions. Key congestion points include:
•
Junction 11 of the M23 (A264/A23) Pease Pottage interchange
•
Junction 10 of the M23 (A264) Copthorne interchange
•
Most of the links on the A23
The Copthorne interchange link was operating beyond design capacity within weeks of opening. The
B2028 and surrounding roads are heavily used to try and avoid such congestion points, but the main
London-Brighton railway line also crosses road links from the East and limits commuter options. As the
majority of Crawley Down residents commute and work in the Crawley/Gatwick area this constitutes a
significant constraint.
There are already a number of committed developments that will create additional travel demand in the
future and the pressure will only be increased by the very significant additional developments proposed
in the Crawley Local Plan. The Highways Authority (HA) has undertaken a study that has shown that in
order to accommodate future growth including traffic from all planned development as set out in the
South East Plan within the Gatwick Sub-region, all junctions on the M23 at Crawley with the exception of
junction 10a, will need to be improved. Crawley Down would argue that junction 10a upgrade to a full
junction would have a significant beneficial impact on traffic through the village and should be seriously
considered.
In Crawley Down, the Kings Acre development of 80 houses is well on the way to completion and a
Gleesons development to build a further 46 more houses has been recently approved at appeal. At a
conservative estimate, a further 190 cars and vehicles will be exiting and entering Crawley Down village
every weekday – before the effect of any smaller developments is taken into account.
The need to provide traffic calming on the B2028 at Sandy Lane, Vicarage Road and Grange Road
junctions has become essential if accidents, injury and possible fatalities are to be prevented.
Speeding and pedestrian safety have long been of concern in the village. A traffic survey has been
performed (March 2013) on the B2028 Turners Hill Rd in support of planning application 13/01146/FUL.
Traffic flow rates of approximately 950 vehicles per hour were recorded during weekday peak hours
(O8:00 – 09:00 and 17:00 – 18:00) – approximately 22% of the daily total. The B2028 is the major route
to and from the village and has a 30mph limit. The survey recorded a maximum speed of 74.9mph with
speeds of 50-55mph not uncommon. Some 15% of vehicles exceeded the speed limit by more than 810mph. Residents consider the Sandy Lane and Grange Rd exits onto the B2028 to be hazardous due to
speeding traffic, constrained field of view and traffic density. The urgent need to improve these
junctions has been regularly raised when commenting on planning applications.
In 2011/12, Worth Parish Council in conjunction with County Councillors surveyed and assessed
Vicarage/Grange roads exits onto the B2028. It was suggested that the situation could be improved
with the addition of 2 mini roundabouts (similar to the ones successfully installed in Cuckfield) or
possibly traffic lights. This suggestion received verbal approval from the County Councillors, on the
grounds of road safety and as a means of controlling traffic flow along the B2028. There is a similar
requirement to improve the junction with Sandy Lane, where there is insufficient room for a mini
Iss 4a, 2/7/2013
25
roundabout and traffic lights may be the solution. However, suggestions that traffic lights may be an
appropriate solution have been met with some scepticism in the community. It has been the experience
of local residents that even minor incidents on the B2028 cause major tailbacks.
These suggestions should receive serious consideration in the Neighbourhood Plan - Section 106 monies
are still available for road improvements from the Kings Acre development.
Inside the village, there are traffic issues associated with the school. Parents and children living south of
Burleigh Way have highlighted problems and dangers crossing this very busy road on their way to
school, the building of the further 46 houses from the Gleeson’s development will inevitably add to
these numbers. Similar issues have been noted with crossing of Vicarage Road and also traffic/parking
outside the school.
The Neighbourhood Plan will need to consider crossing patrols or use of pedestrian controlled traffic
lights installed at a suitable place on these busy roads.
Local bus services have been reduced with funding for some rural bus services being reviewed and
withdrawn by West Sussex & Surrey County Councils. Railway services can be accessed via East
Grinstead, Three Bridges, Crawley, Ifield, Horley and Gatwick Airport stations. All stations have seen an
increase in passenger usage over the past three years and Gatwick Airport Station is now the 23rd
busiest station in the UK in terms of passenger usage.
Gatwick Airport
Gatwick has long been a feature of the local area giving a good level of employment for the region.
However, plans to expand the airport have now been published.
The moratorium on building a second runway at Gatwick runs out in 2019. Whilst committed to
honouring the agreement, Gatwick concede that they need to plan for all eventualities of which a
second runway is one. 7
Gatwick published its finalised master plan on the 19th July 2012, which outlines its development plans
to 2020 and looks onwards to 2030 when it expects to reach full capacity.
Gatwick Airport expects to handle 40 million passengers by the early 2020s. It set itself the objective
that 40% of its passengers should be using public transport to access the airport by the time the airport's
annual throughput reaches 40 million (currently estimated in 2015), up from the 2006 figure of 35.3%.
CAA modal share information indicates that this 40% target was reached in 2010, although passenger
7
http://www.mediacentre.gatwickairport.com/News/Gatwick-s-vision-for-growth-is-set-out-in-its-master-
plan-785.aspx
26
throughput is currently around 32 mppa. Despite this target, most airport users are still using private
vehicles to access the site. The expansion of the airport, possibly as a two runway operation, in
combination with the delivery of new employment and housing is likely to place greater strains on the
transport infrastructure within the surrounding area
Growth will deliver more local jobs and contribute £2.1 billion a year to the economies of London and
the South East
By 2030 the airport will be full and handling 11 million more passengers a year than today with around
45 million passengers a year choosing to fly from the airport. Key master plan points:
•
Today Gatwick handles around 34 million passengers a year, contributes around £2 billion to the
economy and provides on-airport jobs for 21,000 people and a further 20,000 jobs indirectly
•
Gatwick has proposals to invest a further £1 billion in the airport from 2014
•
Gatwick has no current plans for a second runway and is focused on making the best use of its
single runway and two terminals
•
Gatwick can grow to handle 40 million passengers a year by 2021/22 and create an extra 1,200
on-airport jobs and contribute around £2.1 billion to the regional economy each year
•
Gatwick could, by 2030, handle around 45 million passengers a year at which point the airport
would be full.
The master plan is available here:
http://www.gatwickairport.com/masterplan
http://www.gatwickairport.com/Documents/business_and_community/Gatwick%20master
%20plan/2012-07-18-GAL_Masterplan.pdf
Current government policy requires the Core Strategy to safeguard land for a second runway at Gatwick,
although a review of national aviation policy is being undertaken. The option of building a second
runway cannot be ruled out, and if a new southern runway is built, the flight path will be just to the east
of Crawley Down village.
With the expansion comes a number of adverse effects including noise, pollution, increased traffic
movements, and an increase in the local population. The impact on house prices and quality of life
cannot be under estimated
OTHER INFRASTRUCTURE
Retail
Crawley Down village is relatively well served with:
•
Butcher
27
Iss 4a, 2/7/2013
•
Greengrocer
•
Post Office/Newsagent/convenience store
•
A Co-operative store
•
Pharmacy
•
Delicatessen
•
Public House
•
Two hairdressers
•
Two takeaway food shops
•
Pharmacy
•
Estate Agent
•
Garage services (repairs, no fuel)
•
Two farm shops, located at the edges of the village at opposite ends of the Turners Hill Road
Both Post Office and Co-operative shop offer ATM facilities. Parking is a significant issue due to the
range and convenience of retail facilities and also Worth Way users parking in the village for significant
periods. Although, parking restrictions are in force, they are not enforced and therefore largely ignored.
There is one existing car park and planning permission for a second car park has just been obtained.
Enforcement of parking restrictions is expected to be a continuing issue.
Outside the village, there are two service stations on the A264 - one on each side of the plan boundary.
Both provide convenience stores and extended opening hours. The Dukes Head public house is situated
at the junction of B2028 and A264.
Health
Crawley Down has a GP surgery, non-NHS dentist and chiropodist in the village. Chiropractic services
are also offered in the plan area.
The nearest full Accident and Emergency centre is at East Surrey hospital, Redhill. Though Queen
Victoria Hospital at East Grinstead has a minor injuries clinic and Crawley Hospital offers a walk-in centre
and limited A & E services.
The Health Centre which houses the GP surgery has been comparatively recently rebuilt with sufficient
physical capacity to accommodate expansion. It was apparently the original intention to provide
dentistry, chiropody, chiropractic and similar health services on the premises and offer a potential
overspill capacity for East Grinstead expansion. This has not occurred and there has been some
dissatisfaction from patients at long waiting times for non-urgent appointments.
To be completed
Open and Green Spaces
There are a number of open and green spaces in and around the village (Figure 9)
Crawley Down has four recreational areas, two of which are owned by the Parish Council these being
the Village Green and the Cricket Field and, two by Mid Sussex District Council (MSDC), which are the
Haven Sports Field and King George V Field.
28
Figure 9 Open Spaces
The Village Green is ideally situated, virtually in the centre of the village, adjacent to the shops and the
local hostelry - the Royal Oak. It conveniently houses the children’s recreation ground which is much
loved and cherished, not only by our young children, but also by our older residents as well.
The Parish Council has recently replaced some of the older playground equipment, though much of what
remains is out of date. Whilst still meeting Health and Safety standards, it needs replacing and the
whole site need levelling and re-surfacing. Given an assumed future increase in the number of children
from the King’s Acre housing development using this facility, consideration may have to be given to
enlarging it and providing more play equipment.
Apart from the sports facilities at King Georges Field, the Haven Sports field and Cricket Club, there are a
number of general open spaces in the village.
The allotments are one such space and part of the village centre character - although access is restricted
to allotment holders. The village green is situated directly opposite. Burleigh Way has a mixture of
open grass and wooded area with part set aside for meadow plants and another smaller area accessed
opposite Hophurst Drive and also from Hawarden Drive.
The pond area, which includes some ancient woodland abuts the Worth Way at the eastern end of the
village. The pond is maintained by the Crawley Down Pond Environmental Group – a volunteer
29
Iss 4a, 2/7/2013
organisation first formed in 1999. There is also an area of disputed land alongside the Worth Way to the
East of the pond. This has been in regular use by the public for many years, until recently when the
owner of adjacent land has attempted to claim it. The Neighbourhood Plan should attempt to clarify the
issues and maintain public use.
The Worth Way is a linear Country Park which passes through the village and links to the Sussex Border
path which passes just to the South. The area is also well served with footpaths (Figure 9)
Cross Border Co-operation
Worth Parish Council are currently in negotiations with Turners Hill Parish Council to provide a footpath
Figure 10 Public Rights of Way and Ancient Woodlands
between our villages to enable their residents to gain access to the Doctor’s Surgery and our shops.
Given the large number of footpaths and bridleways in Worth Parish this could be used as a starting
point to explore and develop similar initiatives with Copthorne too, as we may have to provide what is
known as Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspaces, or SANG for short. These spaces are to compensate
for any similar facilities lost through development and additionally have the great merit of encouraging
residents to get out and enjoy the countryside setting of the two villages.
30
Facilities
Sports
Crawley Down is fairly well served for sport, with
•
Recreation ground (King Georges Field)
•
Football pitches (King Georges Field (junior pitch) and Haven Sports Field)
•
Cricket pitch (Sandy Lane)
•
Lawn tennis courts (King Georges Field)
•
Skate board facilities (Haven Sports Field)
•
Badminton facilities (Village Hall and Haven Centre)
•
Snooker (Haven Centre)
•
Taekwon-Do (Haven Centre)
•
Stoolball (Sandy Lane)
•
Sussex Polo Club adjacent to the ward
Crawley Down Cricket Club is a well-established and successful club. They have an ambitious youth
programme and will be running 4 youth teams. Unfortunately, they are severely handicapped in their
efforts to run this very worthwhile scheme, in only having one batting strip and also by sharing their
ground with Crawley Down Stoolball Club. Currently there is no other playing area available for a
second pitch. Consequently, youth games will need to be played outside the village.
The King George field houses the Tennis Club, which has also embarked on an ambitious youth and adult
programme to attract more members. They have submitted plans to enlarge their premises to provide
for this but again are limited by the limited space available.
The Haven Playing field is the home of Gatwick Crawley Down Football Club, now semi-professional
rather than a village team. The football club has been a particular success. Its success and consequent
league requirements have had unfortunate consequences for residents in general.
Whilst the football club now has a stadium of some merit, it has been gained at the expense of losing
the best village pitch and some surrounding ground. This Club also runs a very ambitious Youth section
of some 8 teams and whilst they currently cope with the limited available playing space any future
expansion would be difficult to achieve.
The football club uses changing facilities in the Haven Centre, the cricket club has its own pavilion, which
members use socially - both in and out of season.
The Neighbourhood Plan should attempt to understand the longer term ambitions of the football club
and impact on the Haven in particular.
Obesity is a national problem and anything that gets our residents and particularly our young folk
playing sport of any kind is to be welcomed and it should not be prevented through lack of sporting
facilities. The essential need to find additional playing space should be a major item in our
Neighbourhood Plan and it is strongly suggested that the area to the north of the Beckers development
should be investigated and earmarked for this as a possible site for all sports.
If this land could be acquired from Mr Becker and registered as a Kings George field (or equivalent), it
would be held in perpetuity secure the village boundary and prevent development coming south from
the A264.
As a minimum, the plan should address the need for an additional (replacement) pitch local to the
Haven and an extension to car parking facilities.
31
Iss 4a, 2/7/2013
Community
Crawley Down has a number of community facilities
•
The Haven Centre
•
Village Hall
•
Parish Rooms
Crawley Down Community Centre, also known as The Haven Centre is a registered charity based in a
modern building, providing facilities for education, recreation and leisure. It has a Social Club, Snooker
Club, Football Club and many other societies and organisations which cater for all ages of residents in a
thriving village community. It has a large hall and three meeting rooms available for use almost every
day of the year. The hall has a stage. Although there is parking for 162 cars, parking can be a problem
due to the success of the Football Club and this can have an adverse effect on bookings as does the
proximity of the pitch to the main hall and the need for players to pass through the building to access
changing rooms. The police community office is also housed there.
The Village Hall first opened in 1891 and has been a part of village life for well over 100 years. It contains
a large main hall with stage (seating 175), suitably lined out for badminton. There is also a Committee
Room and Coffee Bar with kitchen and outside area. As with the Haven Centre, provision of parking can
be a problem. Patrons have been using a vacant site next door to the Hall, but this has received
planning consent and is unlikely to be available in the future. Petitions and comments have been
received from organisations using the hall requesting that the parking issue receives attention in the
Neighbourhood Plan.
The old parish rooms had been in a state of disrepair for some time when the decision was taken to
replace them with a new building. The old rooms have been demolished and the land sold for housing
in order to fund a new building. Building has started and the new parish rooms are scheduled to be
completed in Summer 2013. When finished, it will provide a large hall seating 100 people, high quality
movable seating, a separate meeting room and fitted kitchen. Unfortunately, no additional parking has
been provided.
Clubs and Organisations
Crawley Down is host to a large number of Clubs and Organisations. The Crawley Down Village website
(http://www.crawleydownvillage.co.uk/) lists over 40 local club organisations and there is an active
residents association. As with many villages, facilities for youth need improving.
ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS
There are a number of small businesses registered to the Crawley Down area, including retail, small
business parks at Grange Farm and Silverwood (Snow Hill) plus Barns Court and Rowfant small business
units in the adjacent Copthorne ward. They provide a modest range of employment.
32
Crawley Down benefits from the proximity of the Gatwick Diamond which provides employment for an
estimated two thirds of Crawley Down residents.
As the vast majority of residents commute to work transport and roads are key issues and any
developments which potentially increase traffic on the B2028/A264 and surrounding network would be
of major concern to the village.
To be completed including Map
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Iss 4a, 2/7/2013
KEY SUSTAINABILITY ISSUES
SWOT assessment
The following table identifies issues in the village, and the baseline information from Section 4.
Strengths
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Safe community environment
Quality schools
Landscape setting,
Strong village identity,
Good range of leisure opportunities, thriving village
clubs,
Village facilities – Haven Centre, Village Hall, Church
Hall
Village Green
Health - GP surgery and Dentist
Variety of shops - Post Office, butchers, chemist etc
Farm Shops
Friendly Church,
Good record for affordable/social housing
Success of Football Club
Allotments
Traditional orchards
Worth Way
Access to countryside
Footpaths
Ancient Woodland
Well defined and defensible village boundary
Village centre with open green, playground, allotments
public house and shops
Village Forum
Residents Association
Skateboard park
Sustainable employment in the “Gatwick Diamond”
Proximity to Ashdown Forest
Weaknesses
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
34
Traffic
o Speed & quantity, village is a rat-run due to A264 and
A22 issues
o Junctions onto B2028, Turners Hill Road
o Pedestrian vulnerability,
o Congestion
o A264 and M23 links operating above design capacity
Public Transport –
o Poor bus service, infrequent and at inappropriate
times for commuters and shift workers
Schools operating at capacity with no plans to expand
Limited activities for older children,
Health – waiting time for appointments at GP,
reductions in local NHS hospital capability
Housing
o High prices, purchase & rental
o Over-development
o Cumulative adverse effect of piecemeal and infill
developments
o No assessment of genuine housing need – specific to
Crawley Down
o Inappropriate design of new housing
o “Gated” or un-integrated developments, leading to
potential isolation from the rest of the village
o Lack of enforced design and build standards
Limited allotments,
Parking
o Village centre
o Village facilities
o Pavements and verges blocked
o Worth Way users
o Lack of enforcement
Infrastructure failing
o Utilities stretched – sewage, water, electricity
o Schools
Employment
o Lack of truly local employment
o Travel to main employers in the Gatwick Diamond
area constrained by A264 traffic plus limited and
overcrowded crossing points for the M23 and railway
Football Club – strain on Haven facilities, loss of a
community pitch
Population density - 60% higher than overall MidSussex average
Lack of suitable land for housing / business / open
space within village boundary
Visual clutter,
Location
Opportunities
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
A legally supported voice for the community
Address WEAKNESSES
o Improve pedestrian safety,
o Implement traffic management,
o More youth activities
o Car share schemes
o Improve parking – unclog village centre
o Enforce existing parking rules
o Reduce street clutter
o Organise events to encourage inclusion,
o Provide more allotments
Local development policies
o Interpret MSDC policies in a local context and expand
o Define sustainable development
o Define policy on in-fill developments, access etc
o Avoid single entrance/exit developments
o Ensure emergency vehicle access in the presence of
on-road parking
o Designate village green and surroundings as a
conservation area
o Preserve Village character
o Positive tree policy (2 for 1)
o Off-road parking
o Neighbour friendly policies on house extensions etc
Housing
o Assess and define local (village) housing needs
o Affordable/social housing for genuine village need
only
o Encourage use of renewable energy as and where
appropriate
Maintain STRENGTHS
o Strengthen identity and pride in community,
o Improve open spaces and sport
o Garden share and community growing
o Grow fruit trees on roadside verges
Protect countryside and landscape setting:
o Identify potential open spaces which have been in
regular public use and formalise access.
o Confirm public use of existing land next Worth Way
o Protect and enhance hedgerows
Acquire additional sports facilities
Improve contact and service to elderly,
Links between local businesses.
Links with neighbouring communities
Crawley Down By Pass?
Formally establish Local Gaps
Threats
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Continued over development leading to loss of rural
character and quality of life,
Development outside Village boundary
Developments in isolation from the village
Development without appropriate infrastructure in
place
Inappropriate change of use from agricultural to
residential to bypass other policies.
Danger from HGVs and fast traffic
Adverse impacts from developments in other areas,
such as building in East Grinstead without addressing
EG traffic and schools impact.
MSDC/WSCC failure to address existing infrastructure
deficiencies:
o Due to cumulative piecemeal development
o Due to transition to Localism and associated
establishment of a new baseline without recognition
of responsibility for dealing with the consequences of
previous policies and decisions
Loss of Community spirit
Expansion of Gatwick
o Noise
o Pollution
o Traffic
o Parking
Failure of Gatwick
o Employment
o Falling house prices
MSDC
o Failure to finalise District Plan in a timely manner
o Untested MSDC housing figures
o Lack of localised housing needs assessments
throughout Mid-Sussex
o Lack of an associated distribution strategy.
o Lack of consultation and co-operation with
neighbouring authorities
o
WSCC policy of providing school places on a “locality”
rather than a settlement basis
Crawley Developments
No planned road infrastructure improvements by WSCC
o No plan to address A22 issues
o No plan to address A264, Crawley link improvements
Loss of employment
Loss of services such as buses, shops, mobile library,
Loss of agricultural land and local food self sufficiency,
Loss of local distinctiveness through cumulative loss of
local vernacular
Loss of hedgerows and tree lined roads
Development along the A264 corridor
Effects of climate change,
o Loss of biodiversity,
o Drought
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Iss 4a, 2/7/2013
Key issues
There are a number of sustainability issues and challenges facing the village. While Crawley Down offers
a high quality environment to residents and local businesses, the Neighbourhood Plan will need to
manage and seek to resolve a series of issues over its lifetime if the parish is to continue to be successful
while respecting its landscape setting. In the absence of a Neighbourhood Plan (and as a consequence a
lack of vision and strategy for Crawley Down), there will be fewer opportunities to address the issues
and challenges facing the village, as well as contributing to a reduction in the potential benefit to the
community.
Table 2 Challenges
Challenges Facing Crawley Down
Effect without the Neighbourhood Plan
Problem of traffic speed and lack of pedestrian safety in
village.
Could get worse with no policy on sustainable transport
and outcome of Traffic Study.
Lack of Local Housing Needs Assessment
Inappropriate decisions on housing could be made –
leading to either a lack of affordable housing for Crawley
Down residents or empty housing
Affordable housing for Crawley Down residents
Sites for housing for local people would not be allocated
Over development and allocation of unsuitable housing
sites
Without a Neighbourhood Plan MSDC would be able to
allocate sites without reference to local needs
Uncontrolled piecemeal and infill development
MSDC do not have a policy on infill developments
Limited allotments availability.
No more allotments would be allocated.
Support and flexibility for local businesses.
Existing policies may not meet their needs and
aspirations.
Infrastructure improvements such as roads, crossings,
parking, school facilities.
Funding for infrastructure requirements may not be
achieved.
Environment and protection
MSDC do not have specific countryside protection and
enhancement measures.
Use of redundant farm buildings
Existing policies may not be appropriate for the specific
circumstances in Crawley Down
Pressures for development in countryside.
District Plan policies are strategic in nature and may not
provide adequate protection
Loss of agricultural land to development.
Could get worse with no policy on protection.
Poor access to services and facilities.
Could get worse with no policy on sustainable transport.
36
Challenges Facing Crawley Down
Effect without the Neighbourhood Plan
Need to maintain and enhance the high quality natural
environment, wildlife networks and biodiversity of the
village.
Strategic policies may not give adequate protection.
Schools at capacity
Could get worse without planned development and
infrastructure improvements
Crawley and Gatwick expansion
Not addressed in MSDC plan
Need to protect and enhance buildings and environment of
the village.
Existing strategic policies may not address issues in the
village or provide suitable design and build standards
appropriate to the village
OBJECTIVES FOR THE SUSTAINABILITY APPRAISAL
The issues for the Neighbourhood Plan and the Objectives for the Sustainability Appraisal, have been
informed by the policy documents identified in section 2 (in particular the Mid Sussex Local Plan
adopted in 2004, Mid Sussex District Plan, consultative draft Nov 2011 and proposed submission March
2013, the results of the household survey and consultations with local business organisations, the
baseline information collected in section 4 and the sustainability challenges for Crawley Down identified
in section 5.
The Objectives, and the Indicators used to measure them, are collectively known as the Sustainability
Framework. The Sustainability Appraisal will measure the sustainability of the Neighbourhood Plan
through the identification of objectives and indicators. These will be used to predict the sustainability
effects of the strategy for the Neighbourhood Plan, and the policies to deliver the strategy. The next
stage of the Sustainability Appraisal will include consideration of alternatives and information about
likely future changes that will occur even without a new Neighbourhood Plan. These alternatives will be
assessed against the Sustainability Framework in order to determine which option is the most
sustainable. This will be used to inform the drafting of the Neighbourhood Plan in order to make sure it
is the most sustainable plan possible, given all realistic alternatives. The Sustainability Appraisal will be
carried out by considering the Neighbourhood Plan policies against the Sustainability Objectives, which
are in effect a measure of sustainability. Each policy will be tested by applying a number of "indicators"
to it. This will help to judge the performance of the policy against each of the sustainability objectives. It
is proposed that the performance of the policies in the Neighbourhood Plan will be measured against
the objectives as follows:
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Iss 4a, 2/7/2013
Sustainability Objectives
The proposed sustainability objectives and indicators (Sustainability Framework) for the Sustainability
Appraisal of the Neighbourhood Plan are as follows:
Table 3 Sustainability Objectives
Policy No
Policy Statement
1/Env.
To preserve and enhance the natural beauty of Worth in terms of its: - geology, landform, water systems and
climate, - ridgetop settlement pattern and historic farmsteads, - routeways, ancient woodlands and small fields area of Ancient Woodland within the parish - number of Tree Preservation Orders within the parish - loss of any of
these features through grant of planning consent, positive action on tree replacement and hedgerows
2/Soc
To ensure that those with genuine local connections with Crawley Down and with genuine housing need in the area
have the opportunity to live in a decent, well-built, sustainably constructed and affordable home. - bands A and B
of Common Housing Register, - number rehoused, - number of affordable homes completed, -turnover of
dwellings, local housing needs assessment.
3/Soc.
To ensure that the community has adequate access to the key services it needs, including health facilities,
convenience shops, and schools -distance the population of the parish live from key services availability of regular
public transport number of shops in village
4/Soc.
To ensure a cohesive and safe village community -crime statistics -secured by design - neighbourhood and farm
watch
5/Soc.
To ensure that the community has a high quality and healthy lifestyle. - Census figures on long term illness and
general health - Number/area of greenspaces within walking distance of homes
6/Env.
To protect and enhance the outstanding landscape setting of the village through the reuse of previously developed
land and buildings where appropriate, including reuse of materials. - development of brownfield sites - new
employment floorspace on previously developed land - quality and quantity of agricultural land lost to
development
7/Env.
To increase energy efficiency in existing and new homes, and the proportion of energy generated from renewable
sources in the parish, and to use sustainably produced and local products where possible in new development. number of solar energy panels installed renewable energy schemes obtaining planning permission reduction in
energy use in public buildings in parish
8/Env.
To maintain and improve the water quality of Weirwood Reservoir and the water courses and aquifers in the
parish, and to conserve water and achieve sustainable water resources management.
9/Env.
To protect and enhance the biodiversity of the parish, its wildlife habitats, key landscape features and species. Data from Sussex Biodiversity Records Office -Land in EU Stewardship schemes -Condition of ancient woodland in
parish
10/Env.
To encourage local food production and community growing within the village community.-number of families on
allotments waiting list -number of allotment spaces
11/Econ.
To encourage the community to shop locally and utilise local businesses. - number of incentive schemes to shop
locally in the village - number of shops within the parish
12/ Econ.
To protect and support local businesses including the development of a sustainable visitor and tourism sector. data
on local employment including part time and work experience
38
Policy No
Policy Statement
13/Env.
To reduce impact of traffic in village, improve pedestrian safety and encourage people to walk or cycle around the
village.speed data from police - proportion of journeys to work by sustainable methods -number of local businesses
with green travel plans - number of safe crossing points in village
14/Env.
To protect the historic environment of the parish, and to enhance the village streetscape and local distinctiveness. number of Listed Buildings in parish - number of applications applying for Listed Building Consent
15/Env.
To encourage reuse, recycling and food composting in the parish -amount of waste collected - amount of recycling
material in blue bins - initiatives on recycling of toxic products eg batteries, mobile phones data from SE Water on
water consumption -type of operations within catchment area -data from Environment Agency on water quality water usage of APC
16/SOC
To promote healthy, active, cohesive and socially sustainable community.
17/ENV
To ensure the provision of sufficient infrastructure to meet the requirements of the community in conjunction with
any proposed development
18/ENV
To maintain, support and promote a diverse employment base that can serve the local and sub-regional and
regional economy.
19/SOC
To address existing infrastructure deficiencies
To be reviewed and completed
NEXT STEPS
As the Neighbourhood Plan is developed, the strategy and policies will be tested against these
sustainability objectives, to identify appropriate policies for inclusion in the Plan. All realistic policy
options will be appraised against the Sustainability Framework set out in Section 7 of this report, in
order to ensure that the policies chosen for Crawley Down Neighbourhood Plan are the most
sustainable, given all realistic alternatives.
This document sets out the baseline information on the parish, the plans and policies influencing the
production of the Neighbourhood Plan, current sustainability issues that are facing the village and the
sustainability objectives that the Neighbourhood Plan should strive to achieve.
The proposed timetable for the Neighbourhood Plan is set out in the timeline below. It is intended that
the Sustainability Appraisal and draft Neighbourhood Plan will be published together in summer 2013,
enabling them to be published for joint consultation.
Consultation responses on this Scoping Report will be taken into account when preparing the final
sustainability framework on which to test the emerging policies. Where necessary, further assessment
of the options will be undertaken, along with any updating of baseline data, plans and policies.
39
Iss 4a, 2/7/2013
Appendix A Summary of Plans and Programmes
Table 4 Summary of Plans and Programmes
NAME OF DOCUMENT
BROAD AIMS/RELEVANT POLICIES
REQUIREMENTS OF THE DOCUMENT
IN RELATION TO THE
NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN
National Planning
Policy Framework,
March 2012
This document sets out the Govt's
planning policies for England and how
these are expected to be applied. It
provides a framework for District and
Neighbourhood Plans.
The Neighbourhood Plan will need to
pay particular regard to this new
Planning Framework.
Mid Sx Local Plan,
2004
This document was statutorily adopted
in 2004. It defines built up area
boundaries and contains some policies
that have been retained in the District
Plan.
MSLP Policies for Crawley Down have
been retained and will need to be
taken into account in the
Neighbourhood Plan
Mid Sx District Plan,
Pre-Submission Draft
2013
The draft District Plan has been written
in the context of the Localism Act and
changes to the planning system. It sets
out strategic policies and provides the
framework for subsequent planning
documents including Neighbourhood
Plans.
The Neighbourhood Plan will need to
comply with the strategic aims and
policies of the District Plan and expand
on them in the context of the local
area.
Mid Sx Landscape
Character Assessment,
2005
This document looks in detail at the
landscape character of the District and
contains detailed management
guidelines
The management guidelines will need
to be taken into consideration in the
Neighbourhood Plan
Ancient Woodland
Inventory for Mid
Sussex, 2007
This survey identifies the areas of
ancient woodland within Mid Sussex
Ancient woodland is a key biodiversity
asset for the area and needs to be
recognised and protected in the
Neighbourhood Plan.
Mid Sussex Rural
Affordable Housing
Strategy, 2007
This document identifies a strategy to
enable the Council to meet the housing
needs of local residents in rural areas.
The Neighbourhood Plan will consider
how it can contribute to this in the
light of a new Housing Needs Study.
Biodiversity Action
Plan for Sussex
Focuses resources to conserve and
enhance biodiversity in Sussex by
means of local partnerships, taking
account of national and local priorities.
The Neighbourhood Plan will need to
take account of nature conservation
and biodiversity issues.
Mid Sussex Economic
Development
Strategy, MSDC 2010
The document lists objectives for
economic development and states how
the Council will assist in meeting these
aims
The Neighbourhood Plan will need to
be in broad compliance with the
economic development and tourism
policies of the District Plan
Mid Sussex
Infrastructure
Development Plan,
Sets out infrastructure requirements
that development will be expected to
contribute towards.
The Neighbourhood Plan should
contain a policy on infrastructure to
comply with these requirements.
40
draft 2011
Mid Sussex Landscape
Capacity Study, 2007
The study identifies the capacity of the
Mid Sussex landscape to accommodate
strategic development.
The study has been a key piece of
evidence in the formulation of policies
concerning the District's landscape
Register of Listed
Buildings
Lists and describes the buildings
included in the List of Buildings of
Special Architectural and Historic
Interest
The Neighbourhood Plan will take
account of the need to protect and
conserve this asset.
West Sussex Sites of
Nature Conservation
Importance Register
Identifies and describes sites of
importance
The Neighbourhood Plan will need to
contain policies to protect these sites
Worth Housing Needs
Study, 2009
Initial study published 2009
New study requested by Worth Parish
Council July 2013
To be reviewed and completed
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42