page_title: Forge Wood
section_title: Development
hierarchical_section_title: Forge Wood / Development
caption_attribution_description: One of a series of photos chronicling the development of Crawley New Town's 14th residential neighbourhood, Forge Wood.The very first house to be built out of a total of 1,900 over the next 12 years. It is seen in a nearly complete state in September 2014.
context_page_description: Forge Wood is a residential area under construction in Crawley, a town and borough in West Sussex, England. Upon completion in 2026, it will be the fourteenth neighbourhood within Crawley New Town. The 1,900 houses and other facilities will be built on open land in the northeast of the borough, adjoining the ancient village of Tinsley Green and to the north of the Pound Hill neighbourhood.
  Forge Wood was known as the North East Sector until December 2013, when the present name was adopted in reference to an area of ancient woodland within its boundaries. The site has a long and complex planning history dating back to 1998. Crawley Borough Council, which owned much of the poor-quality pastureland which characterises the area, favoured developing it for housing; but opponents of the plans raised concerns over flooding, noise pollution and the proximity of the proposed second runway should expansion of Gatwick Airport go ahead. The airport lies a short distance to the north of the site, and a motorway and a main railway line are also adjacent.
context_section_description: Crawley was built as a postwar new town in accordance with the New Towns Act 1946. Anthony Minoprio's master plan designated nine "neighbourhoods"—self-contained residential areas with mixed styles and tenure of housing, extensive open space and a central area with facilities such as a shopping parade, church, community centre and school. Crawley Development Corporation was responsible for developing these.  After it was wound up another four neighbourhoods with a mix of private and council housing were added, most recently Maidenbower in the late 1980s.  Forge Wood is therefore described as "Crawley's 14th neighbourhood".  The development is being undertaken by a consortium consisting of Crawley Borough Council, housebuilders Taylor Wimpey and Persimmon Homes, and the Homes and Communities Agency—a non-departmental government body responsible for affordable housing.
  Of the 1,900 houses, 60% (1,140) will be for private ownership and 40% (760) will be classed as affordable housing: 532 council houses for rent and 228 shared ownership houses.  The latter allow people to buy a majority share in a house at 20% less than its market value.  All four phases of development will incorporate some council and affordable housing.  The Borough's council housing stock, which will be developed by the council itself, will increase from about 8,100 houses to more than 8,600 by the time work finishes.
   
  The 1,900 houses will have 2, 3, 4 or 5 bedrooms.  They will contribute towards the total of 4,895 which have been committed to in the draft Crawley Local Plan, which covers the proposed development of Crawley until 2030.  This document was submitted for government approval in 2014.  Public consultation exercises were held in the Bewbush and Broadfield neighbourhoods and at Crawley Library in September and October 2014 to discuss issues relating to the Local Plan, including the proposals for Forge Wood.
  Forge Wood will be built in four phases.  The first phase will include most of the non-residential buildings, consisting of a community centre, shopping area, health centre and a 2,230-square-metre (24,000 sq ft) school building.  Playing fields, a hard-surface games court and an area of parkland alongside the Gatwick Stream will also be created.  Two new road links will be created: one leading on to Steers Lane to the north at Tinsley Green, and one on to the A2011 Crawley Avenue.  The "Phase 1" sector lies in the centre–west of the development area, wholly to the west of Balcombe Road.  Phase 2 will occupy the southeastern part of the development area, east of Balcombe Road and south of a footpath which crosses the M23 motorway; a small area south of the Phase 1 development will also be added at this time.  Phase 3 will form the westernmost part of the neighbourhood, between the already developed area and the railway line; and Phase 4 covers the northeastern part of the development area immediately north of the "Phase 2" sector.  Two blocks of land totalling 5.18 hectares (12.8 acres) have been reserved for "possible future extension" at the north ends of the Phase 3 and Phase 4 areas.  Other areas of undeveloped land not owned by the council totalling 11.99 hectares (29.6 acres) have also been identified.
  Open space will make up more than two-thirds of the neighbourhood by area.  As well as parks, meadows and play areas, areas of undeveloped ancient woodland will be retained.  The main areas are Blackcorner Wood, adjacent to Balcombe Road within the Phase 4 sector; St Crispin's Wood and Forge Wood (after which the neighbourhood is named), which lie west of Balcombe Road and will separate the Phase 1 and 2 areas; and The Larches and The Birches in the southwest corner.  The Surrey and Sussex Crematorium lies within Forge Wood and there is a gasholder inside The Larches.  Footpaths will be laid out within St Crispin's Wood and Forge Wood to give pedestrian access between different parts of the neighbourhood.
  West Sussex County Council will be responsible for setting up the neighbourhood's school, which will cater for pupils between 4 and 1
caption: The first house (pictured in September 2014 while under construction) faces Steers Lane.
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