Over the years TVA had successfully campaigned against various large-scale proposals for the site, including for allocations in local plans and applications to change the site's designation from greenfield to brownfield. Unfortunately, no small-scale proposals for the gradual evolution of the village, which TVA supports, such as redeveloping redundant buildings on the mushroom site, with the twofold benefit of clearing the site and providing housing for local people, without destroying the surrounding fields,were forthcoming from the developers.

The most recent application, using the concept of enabling development, has however succeeded. Enabling development is when one otherwise unacceptable development can be permitted because something more important close by needs the money raised by granting permission for the unacceptable development. TVA's view, and from planning advice received, was that using enabling development in this situation was not lawful and despite the cost and effort involved, decided to take the case to the High Court. Unfortunately the judge decided that Horsham DC had acted lawfully. He ruled that enabling development was not only lawful to protect heritage buildings which would otherwise fall down, but could also be used to give money to profitable companies who said that otherwise they would not invest in their business to protect jobs being lost. In TVA's view such is the power of economic factors and money that preventing unsustainable development can be totally overridden.

In its statement to the press, TVA said: "In our view, it is a great pity that the judge did not accept our arguments that the planning decision to build a large housing estate in Thakeham was flawed. The precedent this decision will set for similar developments across the UK will be revealed over time, but we expect that the assault on the UK countryside from housing developments in unsuitable locations will gather momentum because of this decision". TVA considers that countryside campaigners should be aware of this unfortunate precedent that the judgement has allowed. The full judgement is available at www.bailii.org.

Jean Locker