Welcome to the first POW newsletter! It would be easy to assume that the POW team hasn’t had much to do since VCP day (Victory over Center Parcs 😆) in February 2023. This could not be further from the truth. Whilst we were delighted that this huge threat had passed, the fact is that the threat to Oldhouse Warren did not begin with the Center Parcs proposal and has not ended with its defeat. With this in mind, in May 2023, we produced a report entitled; 'Oldhouse Warren; the heart of Worth Forest. Its biological and cultural value and the threats it faces'. The report calls for the woodland to be brought under urgent and purposeful conservation management before we see a wave of species extinctions. You can read this document yourself here or you can email us for a copy. Huge thanks to two of POW’s committee members, Dave Bangs and Martyn Waller for their hard work in bringing this together. Over the last few months the report has been sent to over 100 organisations and individuals, including the owners of Oldhouse Warren. As yet we are unsure what their intentions are for the woodland but we do know that they are now conducting their own biodiversity restoration plan (BRP) and that Oldhouse Warren has been pledged as part of the 'Weald to Wave' initiative; a 100 mile nature recovery corridor across Sussex (www.wealdtowaves.co.uk). What this means for the future of the woodland, we don’t yet know. POW has forwarded detailed data and ideas to help inform the BRP and has also pushed for recognition of Worth Forest in the forthcoming ’24-’29 High Weald AONB management plan. At present it has NO recognition (and therefore no protection) within the forthcoming plan. On the whole the report has generated a lot of interest and positive feedback from groups who support our vision. These include The National Trust, The Woodland Trust, Sussex Wildlife Trust, CPRE, SOS, RSPB, the High Weald AONB, Woodland Savers and The Open Spaces Society. We continue to meet and have dialogue with some of these organisations to look at how we can work together to bring about proper conservation management of Oldhouse Warren and to campaign for greater protections for Worth Forest as a whole.
We hope you enjoy our newsletter, especially our new articles on Worth Forest veteran trees, an update on its birds and plants, fungi and other flora and fauna that dwell within this historical landscape. Read our blog from David Bangs and his reflection on Worth Forest Wanderings which covers sun-bathing newts, Eight Eyed Blood Hedgehogs and the recent finding of a Neolithic hand axe! To find out more about Protect Oldhouse Warren, drop us an email at
protectoldhousewarren@gmail.com. Our next general meeting will be in January 2024 if you want to get more involved. In the meantime, please keep an eye on our social media pages.
0 Comments
Today Center Parcs have announced their withdrawal from their project to build a huge leisure development in the heart of Worth Forest in Sussex at Oldhouse Warren.
This is a huge victory for the great veteran trees and the rare plants, animals, birds and insects of this biodiverse and ecologically precious part of the Mid-Sussex landscape. This is a significant victory for local people and for our regional and national allies who love our Forests and have worked to publicise the huge value of Oldhouse Warren and Worth Forest for wildlife and for people's enjoyment. It is a victory too for all those people who have worked to surveyed and publicised the rare and special wildlife of Oldhouse Warren, despite its lack of public access. This victory must be a stepping stone to the restoration of Worth Forest for nature and for us all. POW have submitted a response to MSDC's recent consultation on the District Plan. It is striking that the Draft Plan completely lacks recognition of Oldhouse Warren and Worth Forest. A copy of the submission can be found below but in summary we propose a new policy within the 'Natural Environment and Green Infrastructure' section of the Plan, DPN, as follows: DPN: Worth Forest The high value of Worth Forest as an extensive tract of ancient woodland, in considerable ecological and archaeological continuity with the medieval and early modern Forest of Worth, will be sustained and advanced, recognising: - That its high conservation value wildlife is dependent upon the un-fragmented and extensive nature of the woodland. - That the forest operates as a self-reinforcing and integrated system, with a biological value greater than the sum of its parts:
Crawley Borough Council has stated its unanimous opposition to the proposal for a new Center Parcs holiday village in Oldhouse Warren. We have been campaigning with others against this monstrous proposal for over a year and it is fantastic to see local councillors publically supporting our stance.
The motion passed at their full council meeting on Wednesday 19 October said: Crawley Borough Council states its objection to the proposal, announced last year by Center Parcs, to construct a 'holiday village' comprising up to 900 holiday lodges, a restaurant and swimming complex, across 553 acres of Worth Forest immediately to the south of Maidenbower, in the area known as Oldhouse Warren. In doing so, this Council requests the Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Environmental Services and Sustainability to write to both Center Parcs and Mid-Sussex District Council, on behalf of the Council’s entire membership, setting out Crawley’s concerns about such a change of use of this site, and supporting the environmental concerns that have been highlighted by 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. Oldhouse Warren is ancient woodland, an irreplaceable habitat, that is protected under current planning guidance. Part of Worth Forest, this area has been a haven for wildlife for centuries, possible millennia. This rich environment will be destroyed by Center Parcs’ proposals and we must do everything we can to resist it. Although any planning application for the site would be considered and determined by Mid Sussex District Council, we still think Crawley Borough Council’s position is important. Perhaps they can persuade MSDC to follow suit? This decision is a fantastic step in the right direction, but the threat from Center Parcs remains. Sussex Wildlife Trust will continue to defend Oldhouse Warren from development, working with the Planning for Nature Group and the Protect Oldhouse Warren local campaign group until this damaging Center Parcs proposal is completely removed or refused. Comments
|
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
November 2023
Categories |