West of Ifield
An innovative and sustainable 3,000 home new community in Crawley
Crawley, UK
Gillespies is working as part of a multi-disciplinary team bringing forward a hybrid planning application and supporting LVIA for the new community with 50% of the site proposed as open space.
Gillespies has been supporting Homes England since 2019, initially leading the development of a strategic masterplan framework for 10,000 homes. This was followed by a hybrid planning application for 3,000 homes, incorporating a new local centre, a secondary school, a primary school, employment space for approximately 2,900 jobs, and new sports hubs. Notably, 50% of the 172-hectare site is proposed as publicly accessible open space.
Understanding the site
Situated to the west of Crawley and near Gatwick Airport, much of the site has been in public ownership for decades. It was originally acquired in the 1950s as part of the landholdings intended for the Crawley New Town. The site lies within the gently undulating landscape of the River Mole valley, framed by ancient woodland, flood meadows, and the Ifield Brook Meadows Local Wildlife Site. This natural corridor provides a buffer between the proposed development and the existing Ifield neighbourhood, including the historic conservation area surrounding Ifield Church. To the south, within the area of the former Ifield Golf Course, the land rises steeply towards Hyde Hill.
Shaped by nature
The masterplan draws heavily on the site’s natural character and existing landscape features, including mature trees and watercourses. Gillespies collaborated closely with masterplanners Prior + Partners and environmental consultants Ramboll to create a responsive design that respects the site's diverse habitats, topography, and heritage assets.
The result is a vision for four new neighbourhoods, each with a distinct identity and shaped by Garden Town principles at a local scale. A Design Code will accompany the planning application to guide the delivery of high-quality development and provide a clear framework for the emerging community.
Community-Led and well connected
Extensive engagement has informed the proposals, including consultation with local residents, community groups, and key stakeholders such as Horsham District Council, Crawley Borough Council, and West Sussex County Council. The proposals aim to sensitively integrate the new neighbourhood into Crawley’s wider urban fabric and surrounding countryside, enhancing the existing Public Rights of Way (PRoW) network to maintain access to green spaces, while preserving clear landscape buffers to define the development’s edge.
Extending the sites impact
In the northern part of the site, around the River Mole, existing agricultural land will be rewilded and managed as part of a 50-hectare country park. This park will include a rich mosaic of habitats, such as flood meadows and newly planted woodland, to enhance biodiversity and habitat connectivity along the valley. A key consideration in the masterplan is the protection of a rare bat colony in surrounding woodland. New areas of woodland in the southern part of the site have been designed specifically to protect and extend their habitat.
Project details
Title
West of Ifield
Status
Ongoing
Project team
Gillespies, Prior + Partners, Turner & Townsend , Ramboll, Maccreanor Lavington and Pillory Barn
Gillespies team
Sheena Bell, Ed Barwell