64 Horsham Society Newsletter September 2013 continued from the front page runway. There was no prior consultation and virtually no analysis of the merits of the HORSHAM case. In essence it was simply asserted that a second runway at Gatwick was necessary Newsletter to maintain and increase economic growth and that the county would suffer if future airport expansion was to go elsewhere. The reason for haste was that it would be helpful SOCIETY for Gatwick to be able to tell the Davies Commission that it had WSCC support and by September 2013 being helpful now it would give the council a seat at the table in working out the details later. To us this seems simply naïve. Once again, despite a predominant north/south divide in the debate, Horsham’s position was compromised by speeches in support of the motion from the town’s three Liberal Drill Hall Democrat councillors and silence from the town’s Tories. It was left to Labour members New threats to our town from Crawley and a few brave Tories to make but fail to win the case that the motion was lthough long expected, the District Council’s draft District Planning e reported last time that we had premature and unnecessary, and the council should wait to see Gatwick’s proposals Framework Preferred Strategy has revealed its short sighted political applied to have the Drill Hall before expressing a view. A W expediency and lack of proper process. Inside we look in more detail at the registered as a Community Asset. alternatives that seem to have been ignored with little or no explanation but the The most depressing aspect of all this is that if Gatwick is successful in winning an early headline is simple. Most of the new housing, 2,500 homes, will be dumped north We are pleased to say that HDC has second runway it will be operational well within the time frame of Horsham District’s of the A264 to create an isolated community with almost no physical, social or agreed to registering both the Drill Hall plan yet the latter takes no account of the likely impact. As more than one councillor has economic link with the town. and the Music Studio located in the car pointed out, taken together we could see London sprawl as far as Broadbridge Heath with park but, as yet, it is still considering the no gap in between. Is this really what HDC wants? This is despite the clear statement in the Council’s 2007 Core Strategy that it position of the car park itself. wished “to contain the built up area within the A264 northern bypass, in order to We never thought we would be looking back on the South East Plan with affection but it avoid issues of lack of integration or detachment”. Now the Council says not only is becoming increasingly clear that local politicians are incapable of looking beyond their that it has no choice but such a development would be positively beneficial. own back yards. This volte-face might perhaps be more understandable if it were part of a complete rethink on the Core Strategy but in fact almost nothing else has changed. The By the way settlement hierarchy approach is rigorously maintained. This protects smaller HORSHAM communities, mainly in the south of the district, and thus drives new development SOCIETY Directory to Horsham and, less so, Southwater and Billingshurst. New members The Council’s audacity is compounded by the indicative map of the proposed north his month we are pleased to welcome as new members: The Horsham Society is a registered charity (No.268949) and is an Horsham development. It stretches along the A264 for almost the entire width of independent body supported by members’ subscriptions TMr Bruton, Old Millmeads; Mr and Mrs Pycroft, Causeway; Mr Burns, Faircox Lane, Henfield and Mr & Mrs the town with a single road access down Rusper Way. There is no other way in Mansell McTaggart PRESIDENT Dr Annabelle Hughes Negus, Northlands Road, Warnham. simply because the A264 was designed to be the outer boundary of the town and development has filled the space between. It beggars belief that the developer and VICE-PRESIDENTS DC issued an enforcement notice Rt Hon Francis Maude MP, Nigel Friswell, John Steele, Roy Worskett, If a friend or member of your family has a birthday coming the Council can claim a community joined by such a tenuous and inappropriate Mrs Peggy Gledhill MBE link will be part of the town. Hon 29 June requiring Mansell up make them a present of membership of the Society. McTaggart to reinstate the original CHAIRMAN David Moore Contact the Membership Secretary for further information. The possibility of building a much needed new town close to the A23 corridor is cream colour to the render on their HON TREASURER HON SECRETARY once again kicked into the long grass. premises in Carfax. Sarah Powell Rod Cuming Members’ event: 12th September 3 White Horse Road On 26 July the company exercised its Horsham RH12 4UL While it is tempting to characterise this as simply a north/south divide, with the EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE on’t forget to join us in the Causeway Barn at 7.30pm for right to appeal against the notice to the Roy Bayliss Tel: 01403 268444 Gail Mackintosh’s talk: ‘Corrupt Campaigns to majority southern councillors protecting their votes, at least one Horsham town Paul Fletcher [email protected] D Planning Inspectorate. This was Courageous Campaigners: Tales from Horsham’s political conservative councillor spoke strongly in favour of the proposal and the Liberal Nigel Friswell Democrats leader, while saying some changes were needed, welcomed the plan. somewhat surprising as it had not Peggy Gledhill MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY past’. appealed the original decision to refuse Mrs Pat Gale Michael Hall listed building consent for the change of John Steele 46 Bedford Road Bad though this is, it might turn out to be a side show compared with the Gatwick Horsham RH13 5BJ colour to a burgundy maroon. Delivering print solutions to debate. The Government has appointed Sir Howard Davies to chair a Commission DISTRIBUTION ORGANISER Tel: 01403 253946 Kathy Gleeson [email protected] companies throughout the UK tasked with identifying and recommending options to maintain the UK’s status as an international hub for aviation. This is of course code for suggesting where and The Executive Committee meets at 7.30pm on the first Wednesday of each data management and fulfilment when there should be airport expansion. Unsurprisingly the companies owning Inside month in the Manor Room behind the Causeway Barn. Members are welcome design and br and mana gement digital printing The Printed Word Heathrow, Stansted and Gatwick are all lobbying to demonstrate why they are best to attend as observers but it would be appreciated if the Secretary could be litho printing lanning issues and Horsham’s future placed to provide extra capacity. informed beforehand. photobook design and print predominate this month but inside print fulfilment NEW ADDRESS P SUBSCRIPTION RATES personalised print production we mark the upcoming changes to the Annual Membership: £10 per household print cost reduction systems Unit 2 West Sussex County Council has a legal agreement with Gatwick that there will be print storage and distribution Novartis site with an article on the Family Life Membership: £150 per household Graylands Estate no second runway before 2019 but it is common knowledge that the company has st ationery design and print Langhurstwood Road company’s history. Postage is added to the above rates at £5 per annum training ma nual production been planning for another runway as soon as possible thereafter. In what seems an for out-of-town members transactional printing Horsham incomprehensible own goal, a few days before Gatwick was to present its proposal West Sussex We also look back to the days when www.horshamsociety.org All major credit cards accepted RH12 4QD for a second runway to the Davies Commission, WSCC pushed an emergency Trafalgar Road had thriving local shops, motion through a full council meeting expressing support in principle for a second Correspondence and other Newsletter matters should be sent to the 01403 255650 [email protected] and there is the usual update on the Editor, 2 Old Denne Gardens, Horsham, RH12 1JA (Tel: 01403 272814, www.printedword.co.uk continued on the back page work of your committee email: [email protected]). Other communications concerning the Society should go to the Hon Secretary. The Newsletter is published monthly except August and opinions in it, whether the Editor’s © Individual contributors 2013. No material may be reproduced, copied or stored in a or contributors’, are not necessarily those of the Society. retrieval system without the prior consent of the relevant contributor, which should be sought via the Editor. OUR CONCERN IS THE PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE OF THE TOWN 58 Horsham Society Newsletter September 2013 Horsham Society Newsletter September 2013 63 From the committee Letters and emails Royal visits to Horsham Westrock and Waitrose in the former strategic gap between encourage shop owners to improve Isla Blair remembered Horsham and Southwater. We shall their shopfronts. If this doesn’t happen e have continued to probe have to see how well screened the new the town, and the traders themselves. certainly remember an attractive girl named Isla Blair-Hill, WWestrock’s proposals for a new facilities would be, and the impact of will not get full value from the Iwho was a member of either St Mary’s Church Youth Edward I Waitrose superstore adjacent to Albion parking and floodlighting, when the improvements.