Around 500 people gathered in Henfield on April 18 for a community demonstration against plans that would introduce more than 1,000 additional residences to the settlement.

The event, arranged by the Campaign to Protect Rural Henfield, aimed to raise awareness among locals regarding developer schemes to build over 1,000 properties on farmland and open countryside bordering the village.

Last year, permission was granted for 235 houses in Henfield. Subsequently, Taylor Wimpey announced plans for as many as 800 further homes on land to the northeast of the village.

The initiative was one of 220 coordinated actions held throughout the nation, coordinated by the Community Planning Alliance, a voluntary national body.

These demonstrations drew attention to the wider impact of housing construction across Britain, driven by government targets to deliver 1.5 million new dwellings.

The day included live music and various activities for attendees.

Steve Bailey, speaking for CPRH, said the village had already accommodated its share of speculative building projects on green fields and agricultural land, and that Henfield’s neighbourhood plan, devised by residents who understood local housing needs and suitable locations for construction, covered a 15-year period. He said developers were ignoring these plans while the government supported their activities.

Mr Bailey explained that the action day was arranged to protect the surrounding countryside, with hundreds of residents attending to learn about the issues and how they could help. He emphasized that together the community could challenge these ill-conceived schemes that would significantly alter village life and the natural environment. He noted that once green fields disappeared, they were gone for good, as houses were never demolished to restore countryside, and that every effort would be made to safeguard the community, its surroundings, and heritage, describing the situation as an existential threat to Henfield.

Andrew Griffith, MP for Arundel and South Downs, has previously voiced opposition to the Henfield schemes, describing the development magnitude as unacceptable in communications with Horsham District Council’s leader.