Centre Parcs to Invade Forest in an AONB?

Last year Centre Parcs announced that it had secured an option agreement to acquire 553-acres of privately owned woodland at Oldhouse Warren off Balcombe Road, Worth.

"Center Parcs says that the holiday village would include up to 900 lodges, a range of indoor and outdoor leisure facilities, a ‘subtropical swimming paradise’, a variety of restaurants, shops and a spa."

The move triggered alarmed responses from the likes of The Campaign for Rural England and the Wild Life Trust.

https://www.cpresussex.org.uk/news/center-parcs-picks-wrong-site-for-sussex-development/

https://sussexwildlifetrust.org.uk/campaign/center-parcs-and-oldhouse-warren

and some great info here:

https://www.sos.org.uk/archives/3709

The forest is described in Mid Sussex District Council's own reports, as:

"A Large, regularly-enclosed and some smaller, irregular, assart fields within a woodland setting comprising an arable and pastoral landscape enclosed by shaws, hedgerows and fencing."

They say, "despite the closeness of Crawley to the north, a secluded, tranquil nature exists in many parts of the forests." It has some damage from, "clearance and re-planting of large tracts of ancient woodland." but has, "heathland remnants and significant areas of rich woodland biodiversity.

On September 24th local groups staged a mass trespass into the forest to protest against the plans. Stay tuned for more updates.