Council greenlights plans for 230 homes near Crawley

Plans to build up to 230 homes and a 70-bed care home in Crawley Down have been approved by Mid Sussex District Council.

The application from Wates Developments Ltd, for land west of Turners Hill Road and north of Huntsland, was given the green light by the planning committee.

A previous application for 150 homes and a care home was approved in 2025, though councillors were unhappy about the development being accessed via Wychwood Place, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS).

The latest application now includes a parcel of land at Hurst Farm, which will be used to house the care home and provide access onto Turners Hill Road.

The Wychwood Place access will only be used by pedestrians, cyclists and emergency vehicles.

Sixty-nine of the new homes will be classed as affordable.

A second application for up to 200 homes directly south of Huntsland was also approved in 2025.

Overall, councillors agreed that the changes made in the new application were "a significant improvement".

Some had complained the community facility on the site would be a bandstand rather than something more substantial, the LDRS reports.

But it adds a financial contribution will be given by Wates to the Haven Centre, a community centre less than one mile from the site.

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