Crawsham

Government plans to build thousands of homes across Mid Sussex.

Villagers at Rusper, near Horsham, are furious over proposals to build 20,000 homes in the strategic gap between Crawley and Horsham. They fear being swallowed up by the development, which could turn Horsham and Crawley into the size of a small city, and said their village could become "Crawsham."

Residents have formed the Keep Rusper Green Action Group and plan to bombard Environment Secretary John Prescott with letters of protest. People are being invited to Rusper parish hall on Saturday to write letters as part of a "write-a-thon" campaign.

Action group secretary Frances Haigh said: "It would be horrendous. If all the extra houses are allowed we could end up becoming a big urban sprawl like Croydon. Most people are very upset about the plan and want to do anything they can to fight it. The proposal for 20,000 new homes runs up to 2016 but once we have got this splodge of houses, what happens after 2016?"

Mrs Haigh, who is also clerk of Rusper Parish Council, said the infrastructure could not cope. She said: "Our train service is a joke. It takes an hour and a quarter to get to London. The A24 between Great Daux and Capel is notorious for accidents. People have been campaigning for years for a dual carriageway but Mr Prescott says there is no funding."

Mrs Haigh said many in Crawley and Horsham were unaware of the full impact the proposals would have on the area if they are accepted. She said: "We are asking people to come to the village hall on Saturday between 1pm and 5pm to write to Mr Prescott."

The proposals are in a report by Prof Stephen Crow, a Government senior housing adviser. He has picked out four major areas for expansion in the South East - Ashford in Kent, Stansted, Milton Keynes and Gatwick. His report says the Gatwick area should take more housing to get the full economic benefit of being near an airport.

Along with Crawley, Gatwick and Horley, he suggests the catchment area should include Horsham, East Grinstead, Redhill, Reigate, Haywards Heath and part of the South Coast. He has dismissed the strategic gap between Crawley and Horsham as being of little importance and his report says it is an area capable of taking substantial growth.

Rusper parish council chairman David Clements told a recent meeting of campaigners: "There are firm proposals on the table which would turn this lovely rural parish into an urban sprawl which would span the gap between Crawley and Horsham and create a city the size of Southampton."

Mr Prescott will reply to the Crow recommendation in the next four weeks. There will be eight weeks of consultation before a final decision.

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