Knepp Estate outlines how ‘Heaven’ for nature would be cut-off by 3,500 home Horsham Buck Barn plans

In the latest guest comment piece in the West Sussex Gazette’s campaign to protect greenfield sites across the county, Isabella Tree, from the much-heralded Knepp Estate rewilding project, explains how development will impact on the estate’s work.

Isabella’s comment, below, features on this week’s front page and discusses plans for Buck Barn in Horsham. See the West Grinstead Action Group’s comment here.

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In a world hounded by environmental catastrophe our rewilding project at Knepp Estate, seven miles south of Horsham, shines out as a beacon of hope.

In the first programme of his new Earthshot series, aired on BBC1 this October, Sir David Attenborough presented from one of our tree platforms overlooking 3,500 acres of emerging scrubland, restored wetlands and regenerating trees, and described the miracles that have happened here.

In less than 20 years, since we gave up farming our unprofitable heavy clay land, wildlife has rocketed.

We now have one of the densest populations of songbirds in the country, all five UK species of owls and 13 of 18 UK bats.

Knepp is the only place in the UK where turtle doves – predicted to disappear from our shores within decades – are increasing in numbers year on year.

There are vital public benefits, too. Our restored soils now act as a filter, purifying polluted water from surrounding farms and roads. In heavy rains, Knepp holds water like a sponge, protecting land and property downstream from flash floods.