Crawley Down
Introduction
24.1 Crawley Down is a large village located mid way between East
Grinstead and Crawley. Although there is a long history of settlement
in the area, much of the early development dates from the 19th century.
The older part of the village is centred on the green, including
Bowers Place and Station Road, and along Sandy Lane and Vicarage
Road. The village has expanded considerably over the last 30 years
or so and the population more than doubled from 2000 to 4,600 between
1971 and 1981. This period saw the development of large housing estates
on the east side of the village, including at Burleigh Wood. The
pace of development slowed in the 1980s, being primarily infilling
or the redevelopment of smaller sites such as Glebelands south of
the church and Long Acre in Sandy Lane. The population of the village
is now around 5,000.
24.2 Despite this extensive development the original core has retained
its village character. The village also has an attractive rural setting,
being surrounded by attractive countryside which separates it from
the other nearby villages and the larger towns, and which forms a
vital part of the strategic gap between East Grinstead and Crawley.
24.3 Crawley Down is served by a range of local facilities. These
include a number of shops, mainly in Station Road and also in Sandy
Lane; a church and parish room; infants and junior schools; a health
centre; two village community centres including the Haven Centre
with its extensive recreational and social facilities; playing fields,
recreation grounds and equipped play areas; a scout headquarters;
and an extensive area of allotments.
24.4 Worth Way, the long distance bridleway between East Grinstead
and Crawley, passes through the centre of the village, partly along
the line of the former railway.
Policies and Proposals
Built-up Area Boundary
24.5 A built-up area boundary is defined for Crawley Down. This
seeks to preserve the rural setting of the village and to protect
the surrounding countryside and the strategic gap from unnecessary
development. The boundary excludes areas of low density development
on the edges of the village including parts of Turners Hill Road,
Sandy Lane and Sandhill Lane, all of which are regarded as being
part of the countryside and are therefore subject to policies of
development restraint.
Strategic Gap
24.6 Crawley Down is surrounded by land which falls within the strategic
gap between East Grinstead and Crawley. The gap boundary follows
the built-up area boundary, with the exception of the area of low
density residential development on Sandhill Lane, which is not included
in the gap.
Areas of Townscape Character
24.7 The Council has identified two Areas of Townscape Character
in Crawley Down in accordance with policy B16 of the Built Environment
Chapter. The first is at the centre of the village and includes Sunnymead,
an area of informal public open space, and parts of Station Road
and Bowers Place. This area comprises an interesting and attractive
mix of house types of varying ages, styles and plot sizes, together
with prominent trees and hedges. The second is part of Sandhill Lane,
an unadopted road at the southern edge of the village, where the
varied house types have individual and group interest. They are substantial
properties in large plots and incorporate a range of building styles.
24.8 The Council will pay particular attention to any proposals
for development or redevelopment in these areas, having regard to
their special townscape character. It will seek to ensure that this
character is protected and where possible enhanced by any new development
proposals. These areas are identified on the Proposals Map.
CD1 Areas of Townscape
Character have been designated at:
Community/Recreation Use
24.9 A need has been identified within Crawley Down to replace or
improve the existing village scout headquarters. This currently draws
a large membership from Crawley Down and Turners Hill and plays an
important role in meeting the recreational needs of children from
both villages. The existing scout headquarters is now too small for
the group’s activities and various options are being explored
for meeting this particular need, including the possibility of accommodating
a larger building on another site.
24.10 The Mid Sussex Playing Pitch Strategy has identified a need
for additional playing pitches in the area, and the Council will
continue to investigate ways of meeting this local need.
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