Surrounding popular West Sussex gardens with thousands of homes would ‘totally alter its charm’
Pauline McBride and her husband Paul created the Sussex Prairie Garden, just south of the Wheatsheaf Road, back in 2008.
The naturalistic looking garden is not ‘overly manicured’ and Pauline feels it ‘fits perfectly in this landscape’ and described how they wanted to share it with other people.
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Hide AdIt is located on their 32-acre farm, which originally belonged to her parents.
The garden has become a significant tourist destination, welcoming more than 20,000 visitors every year between June and the middle of October.
The couple have not agreed to sell their land to Mayfields, but if it was allowed to go ahead the company’s proposed 7,000-home development would completely surround the attraction.
Pauline described how the development’s impact on the landscape, countryside and her business would be ‘far reaching’, adding: “I’m worried and concerned about the effect this whole plan is going to have on us.”
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Hide AdAlthough Mayfields’ masterplan shows the garden being retained, Pauline argued that being surrounded by housing would totally alter its ‘charm and character’.
She said: “We have a really great thing here. We’re really proud of it and we want to keep it.”
She urged supporters to take part in Horsham District Council’s current local plan consultation, which includes potential options for a number of different strategic housing sites.
Mayfields’ proposal is one of those being considered as the area looks to find sites for thousands of new homes.
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Hide AdThe garden welcomes visitors from abroad, organises placements and workshops, while the quality of their planting has been recognised by the Royal Horticultural Society and it has also featured on the BBC’s Gardeners’ World.
It holds music events and craft workshops and also has an important link to the University of Sheffield’s landscape design department.
Pauline added: “it’s hopefully got a bohemian feel about it and I think that’s where its unique character rests.”
The consultation closes on March 30.
The garden opens to visitors at the start of June.