• Previous Page
• Next Page

Joint Area Action Plan: Preferred Options

Introduction

The West Sussex Structure Plan (WSSP (2001)) identified the area to the west of Crawley to accommodate a new neighbourhood of some 2500 dwellings and associated uses.  The precise location for the neighbourhood was not specified in the WSSP although a number of strategic requirements were set out.

Both Horsham District Council’s (HDC) Local Development Framework (LDF) Core Strategy (now adopted) and Crawley Borough Council’s (CBC) LDF Core Strategy (pending adoption, post receipt of the Inspector’s report) include policies to formulate jointly a Joint Area Action Plan (JAAP) to establish the form and location of the neighbourhood.  Furthermore, each Core Strategy incorporates key objectives and principles for the planning of the neighbourhood. 

A Joint Members Steering Group of Councillors from HDC and CBC has been established to oversee and advise on the development of the Joint Area Action Plan.

The Process for Preparing the Joint Area Action Plan

The two councils have worked together to establish a strong evidence base on which to found the Preferred Options Joint Area Action Plan.  Evidence has been drawn from a wide variety of sources and consultants have been appointed to advise on matters including transport and highway, land remediation and on development options.

In September 2006, the Councils carried out consultation on the Issues and Options Joint Area Action Plan.  Stakeholders and the public were asked to contribute their views on the way in which the Joint Area Action Plan could develop and a number of public exhibitions were held.   Since then the Councils have continued to develop the evidence base and to analyse the different options for accommodating the neighbourhood within the Area of Study. 

The position has now been reached where the Councils can publish their Preferred Options Joint Area Action Plan.   This is a key stage in the process as it is an opportunity for stakeholders and members of the public to contribute their views before the Councils submit the Joint Area Action Plan to the Secretary of State, which they would want to see adopted.

Once the preferred options consultation is complete, the Councils will prepare the Submission Joint Area Action Plan to be submitted Secretary of State.  An Examination into the soundness of the Joint Area Action Plan will then be held before an independent Planning Inspector.  As part of this process further work will be done to ensure the evidence base on which the Joint Area Action Plan is based is sound.   Once the Joint Area Action Plan is submitted, there will be an opportunity for people to give their formal support to the proposals or to raise objections.

Vision and Objectives

The Councils propose the following vision for the Strategic Development Location West and North West of Crawley;

“A sustainably built and located development, based on the neighbourhood principle, where a wide range of local services is accessible to residents who are involved in their community and share the benefits of enjoying a high quality of life; where strong and sustainable links link  both into Crawley and into the surrounding countryside, which will be respected and utilised in conjunction with the provision of high quality open spaces and informal leisure facilities;  and where excellent public transport opportunities give access for all residents to services, facilities, the town centre and employment opportunities”

The guiding principles to deliver this vision have been developed from policies in the Councils’ respective Core Strategies and developed to reflect the more detailed analysis, which has taken place as part of the Joint Area Action Plan process:

• the development should take place on a ‘neighbourhood’ principle with the provision of a mix of uses which are likely to include shops, employment, a primary school, a library service, doctors’ surgery, public open space, local transport infrastructure as well as housing, including affordable homes;
• the new development should be integrated with the physical and social infrastructure of Crawley, and with the landscape;
• the new development should avoid contributing to the coalescence of settlements by maintaining the sense of separation between Horsham and Crawley;
• the development should provide a mix of housing types and sizes including the provision of up to 40% affordable housing;
• the development should be based on maximising the opportunities for the use of sustainable construction methods;
• new development should avoid areas of flood risk and aircraft noise contours of 60dBA Leq or more (either as existing or as indicated in relation to the alignment of the potential second runway and ‘safeguarded’ area);
• the development should seek to minimise any increase in levels of traffic through the existing neighbourhoods of Crawley and, where possible, relieve pressure on the existing road network and;
• sufficient transport infrastructure should be provided to meet the needs of the new development, whilst maximising the opportunities for sustainable transport.

The Preferred Option

The preferred option is set out in detail in chapter 3 of this document.  The principle elements are as follows.

Location

The Councils’ Preferred Option is that the new neighbourhood should be located to the West of Bewbush.  The Preferred Option comprises of land north of the A264, bounded on the east by the built up area of Bewbush, to the west by the Holmbush Farm entrance onto the A264 and to the North by Kilnwood Lane, which is north of the railway.

Housing

The neighbourhood will deliver approximately 2500 new dwellings of which 60% should be for the general market and 40% should be affordable housing. Of the affordable housing provision, 70% should be social rented and 30% intermediate housing.

The development should provide a mix of housing type, tenure and size.   Market and affordable housing should be provided within each phase of the development and the affordable housing should not be concentrated into clusters larger than 10-12 units.

Employment

Small scale incubator employment development will be included within the neighbourhood.  However, in the light of the studies undertaken on this issue the Councils do not consider it appropriate to identify land for strategic employment provision within the Area of Study. 

Neighbourhood services and Facilities

To ensure the neighbourhood principle is adhered to the neighbourhood should include a full range of local facilities and services including:

• A neighbourhood shopping parade with between 1,250sqm  and 2500sqm of retail floorspace
• Nursery school facilities for approximately 360 children
• Primary school facilities for approximately 630 children (1 to 2 schools)
• Doctors surgery/health centre
• A community centre of approximately 700 sq m
• Local library facilities

Wherever possible community facilities and services will be incorporated into a planned neighbourhood centre with good sustainable transport access.

Open Space, Playing Fields and a Green Infrastructure

The neighbourhood should contain planned green infrastructure, which provides wildlife corridors and opportunities for sport and recreation and which integrates with existing links into Bewbush and with the surrounding countryside.  Approximately 16 hectares of public open space should be provided, divided equally between active and passive recreation.

Capon Copse and Pondtail Shaw will be retained and other existing natural features such as hedgerows or smaller wooded areas should be incorporated into the development where possible.

Sustainability

The neighbourhood is to be developed with sustainable construction as a key objective.  The neighbourhood will be developed to challenging, but realistic sustainable development codes and BREEAM standards.

Transport

The new neighbourhood should be designed and laid out to maximise opportunities to integrate sustainable forms of transport and minimise the need for car use.

The development should include:

• An extension to Fastway linking through Bewbush and/or IfieldWest or an equivalent premium service providing rapid access to Crawley Town Centre and other main destinations in Crawley
• Improvements to conventional bus services
• A network of footpaths and cycleways giving access within the neighbourhood and to major destinations outside the neighbourhood

Subject to further study the Neighbourhood may need to include:

• A new station
• A parkway or park and ride facility

On the basis of current studies and in the light of the acknowledged environmental impact of major road building, the Councils consider there is not sufficient justification for the construction of a western relief road as part of the development.   However, the development should incorporate scope for the first section of such a road on the western side of the neighbourhood including a bridge across a railway.  Depending on the results of further transport assessment work, the developer may be required to make a contribution to the provision of the western relief road in the longer term.

Subject to the results of further transport modelling, access to the new neighbourhood should be from two points on the A264 and operational improvements will be needed along the M23 corridor, particularly Junction 11.  A second bridge across the railway may be needed for pedestrians, cyclists and possibly buses.

Masterplanning

Detailed masterplanning has not been undertaken at this stage and it is anticipated that this will be carried out before the Joint Area Action Plan is submitted to the Secretary of State.  At this stage the Councils preferred approach is as follows:

• A centrally located neighbourhood centre with easy access from both sides of the railway
• Business development located adjacent to the railway or western access road
• Higher density housing within and adjacent to the neighbourhood centre and adjacent to Bewbush
• Lower density development towards the west of the site where the development adjoins open countryside.

Alternative Development Options

As part of the process of preparing the Joint Area Action Plan a number of alternatives were considered but have not been included as a preferred option.  These are set out in Chapter 5 of the document and include:

• A neighbourhood west of Ifield
• Development of land at Ifield Golf Course
• Development of land to the west of IfieldWest
• Development divided between west of Bewbush and West of Ifield
• Development of land for strategic employment uses
• Incorporation of land for other activities including a hospital, a university campus, a cemetery, a gypsy and travellers' site, and a road maintenance depot.

The Longer Term

The Joint Area Action Plan is being prepared in the context of the West Sussex Structure Plan and the Core Strategies for Crawley and Horsham.  These focus on development of a neighbourhood West and North West of Crawley up to 2018.

The South East Plan which will set development requirements up to 2026 is programmed for adoption in 2008.   This will provide the framework against which the Councils will be reviewing their Core Strategies.  The Councils believe that this would be the appropriate time to consider where and how new development should be accommodated at Crawley.  This may require further greenfield development on the edges of the town.   Both Councils consider that any further greenfield development should be considered as part of a strategic review of development at Crawley which looks at all the options, east, west and south of Crawley and within the Borough’s Boundary.

• Back to Top
• Previous Page
• Next Page