Wildlife campaigners and Conservative councillors are fighting plans for a new Center Parcs to save ancient woodland.

Environmental groups have written an open letter to Center Parcs and councillors are considering formally objecting to the plans to build a 553-acre Center Parcs holiday village on the outskirts of Crawley.

A notice of motion "to protect Worth Forest" is due to be tabled at a meeting of the borough council on Wednesday.

Drawn up by Councillor Kim Jaggard and seconded by Councillor Duncan Crow, the motion calls on chief executive Natalie Brahma-Pearl to write to both Center Parcs and Mid-Sussex District Council setting out Crawley’s concerns about such a change of use of the site.

Center Parcs wants to build the £350-400 million holiday village at Oldhouse Warren, off Balcombe Road.

The Argus: Councillors are to consider formally objecting to plans to build a 553-acre Centre Parcs holiday village on the outskirts of Crawley. Image: Centre Parcs

It is expected to hold 900 lodges and create 1,500 permanent jobs once operational.

But concerns have been raised about the environmental impact of such a site.

The Sussex Planning for Nature Group, which is made up of the Sussex Wildlife Trust, the RSPB, the Woodland Trust, CPRE Sussex and the Sussex Ornithological Society sent an open letter to Center Parcs laying out its concerns.

The group said: “Oldhouse Warren and the surrounding landscape make up the remnants of Worth Forest, a once medieval hunting forest and an integral part of the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

“This ancient woodland site is a habitat rich with nationally rare archaeological and ecological features, including veteran trees, and also neighbours an area of Site of Special Scientific Interest ancient ghyll woodland.

“It is for this reason that we are asking Center Parcs to reconsider developing here.”

The Argus reported last year how, in a joint statement, the organisations said the development “would tear the heart out of Oldhouse Warren’s irreplaceable ancient woodland” resulting in “irreversible loss of habitat for wildlife”.

In line with the other Center Parcs villages, it is intended that the site at Oldhouse Warren will include lodges, a range of indoor and outdoor leisure facilities, a Subtropical Swimming Paradise, a variety of restaurants and shops and an Aqua Sana Spa.

The council meeting will be held at the Charis Centre, West Green Drive, from 7.30pm.