Center Parcs Drops Plans For West Sussex Development

A Sussex environmental charity and a woodland conservation charity have welcomed the news that holiday park company Center Parcs will not be pursuing plans to open in West Sussex.

The Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) welcomed today's announcement that Center Parcs would not be building what would have. been its largest holiday spa at the Oldhouse Warren site.  in the summer of 2021.

CPRE Sussex say they have been working to oppose the plans - since they were initially announced in the summer of 2021 - alongside a coalition of environmental charities, including Sussex Wildlife Trust, the Woodland Trust, the RSPB and the Sussex Ornithological Society, and local action group Protect Oldhouse Warren.

CPRE Sussex volunteer Michael Brown said:

“Center Parcs could not have chosen a more environmentally-sensitive location for its plans.

“Oldhouse Warren is ancient woodland with a history going back many centuries and part of it is a Site of Special Scientific Interest. It sits within the historic and ecologically-important Worth Forest, which is itself part of the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

“Development of Oldhouse Warren would have been inexcusable vandalism, involving irreparable permanent damage to the ecology of the area, disaster for its wildlife, and making a mockery of the Government’s commitments to address climate change and the biodiversity crisis.

“The only wonder is why it has taken Center Parcs more than 18 months to come to the realisation that Oldhouse Warren was an entirely unsustainable place to site their planned new resort. We applaud the fact that they have finally succumbed to the pressure to think again and look elsewhere.”

CPRE Sussex continues to put pressure on Mid Sussex District Council to incorporate a policy guaranteeing greater protection for Worth Forest as a whole into its District Plan Review 

They have also thanked their members and supporters for helping to save 'a very special part of Sussex'.

Jack Taylor, lead campaigner for the Woodland Trust, said:

“Fantastic news today. All credit to Center Parcs for pulling out of plans to develop a new park in ancient woodland. It is why proper site assessments are needed in planning and no shortcuts. 

“The proposals would have been disastrous for wildlife and see us lose irreplaceable habitat. Oldhouse Warren is an exceptional 550-acre ancient woodland and a rare gem given that ancient woods now cover less than 3% of the UK.

“We have strongly opposed the plans alongside Sussex Wildlife Trust, CPRE Sussex, RSPB, Sussex Ornithological Society and local community group Protect Oldhouse Warren.

"Ultimately, we commend the correct decision being taken by Center Parcs today.

“This is why proper site assessments are needed in planning and why, like many others, we spoke out against Government plans last year to relax planning measures for investment zones.

"While one look at existing datasets should be enough to indicate development shouldn't happen in precious spots such as Oldhouse Warren, this shows the importance of ecological experts undertaking site surveys to inform decisions about where development happens - the Government should take note in developing its proposals for new Environmental Outcomes Reports for development proposals." 

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*The Woodland Trust is the UK’s leading woodland conservation charity. It owns more than 1,000 woods throughout the UK which are open free year round for the public to enjoy.

As well as helping people to plant trees throughout the UK, it campaigns to stop development on ancient woods. It also lobbies for increased protections for trees and woods, as well as greater urgency to create more woodland to tackle the nature and climate crises.