Rewilding Britain is urging Horsham District Council to recognise Knepp’s importance, and its own responsibility to protect this special place from the impacts of development. Horsham District Council says it will consider how the development would deliver biodiversity net gains – but the likelihood would be severe negative impacts for a global biodiversity hotspot. These would likely cause major disturbance to the precious species found at Knepp – as well as preventing them from safely moving into neighbouring sites, especially those where landowners are seeking to follow Knepp’s example. Yet the future of this jewel in Britain’s rewilding crown could be jeopardised by the development proposals. Knepp is a member of Rewilding Britain’s new Rewilding Network, which is bringing together nature restoration sites from across the country. Alongside helping to tackle the nature and climate crises, Knepp offers exceptional opportunities for people to enjoy the health, wellbeing and educational benefits of reconnecting with nature. Other benefits from this rewilding success story include cleaner and healthier water, air and soil, as well as flood prevention and carbon capture. Knepp is also part of a wider landscape fostering wildlife-rich habitats and crucial nature corridors, with many of its precious species flowing out into the neighbouring countryside.
The successes include breeding populations of extremely rare species such as turtle doves, nightingales, peregrine falcons and purple emperor butterflies. The site’s story of hope is chronicled in landowner Isabella Tree’s best-selling book Wilding. Increases in wildlife since rewilding began at Knepp in 2001 have been extraordinary, with many nationally and regionally endangered species now thriving there – bucking trends that have left Britain one of the world’s most nature-depleted countries. Horsham District Council is considering a large and controversial housing development site of up to 3, 500 houses adjacent to Knepp as it drafts its Local Plan – despite fears the proposals could have a severe impact on one of the UK’s most acclaimed rewilding sites. A potential housing development threat to globally important rewilding site Knepp Castle Estate in West Sussex is a prime example of why the UK urgently needs some form of planning designation for critical nature recovery areas, and why the Government’s proposals for extensive nature recovery need the commitment of local planning authorities.
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