Town Centre Regeneration Programme

Since 2016, Crawley Borough Council and partners have been busy delivering an ambitious, exciting and successful programme to revive and regenerate the town centre – breathing new life into key locations in order to realise the area’s full potential as a fantastic place to visit, live, work and do business.

The programme has seen some major improvements to public spaces including £5.4 million public realm regeneration schemes in Queens Square, the heart of the town centre, and along Queensway and The Pavement.

Crawley’s economy has been badly affected by the Covid-19 pandemic with the majority of town centre businesses forced to close during periods of lockdown and restrictions, a dramatic fall in visitor numbers and the negative impact of furlough and home-working. In response, the council has led efforts to boost the town centre economy and generate new business investment and jobs by continuing to lead and facilitate the development of major programmes of new infrastructure, amenity and residential development.

In December 2021, Crawley Borough Council published its ‘One Town’ Economic Recovery Plan; an overarching, strategic plan for all our existing delivery programmes including the Town Centre Regeneration Programme. A key priority of the plan is a focus on town centre renewal by enabling a vibrant neighbourhood and sustainable economic future for the town centre via qualitative investment, building on our recent achievements.

A range of major developments have continued to make good progress including construction of a new Town Hall, brand new Grade A business space and high-quality residential accommodation, along with major improvements to public space and transport networks.

Helping to bring our ambitions to fruition is £21.1million secured from the Towns Fund; this will deliver a number of transformative regeneration schemes (including three with a specific focus in the town centre) that will unlock jobs and boost economic activity. This, in addition to the £15.4million previously secured from the Coast to Capital Local Enterprise Partnership to deliver the Crawley Growth Programme, is clear evidence of the confidence that exists in Crawley as a place to invest.

At the heart of this programme is our work with stakeholders and the community, ensuring everyone sees the benefit of a regenerated Crawley town centre. There’s something for everyone in our Regeneration Programme – we hope to see you soon!

Councillor Atif Nawaz

Cabinet Member for Planning and Economic Development

1. Excellent public realm
2. Vibrant community heart for Crawley and the Gatwick Diamond
3. Diverse retail, leisure and business offer
4. High-quality, sustainable residential accommodation supported by a rich mix of community facilities
5. Dynamic and sustainable business growth

Seven key themes will help us transform the town centre and bring our vision to life:

1.    Investing in revitalised public realm, highways and infrastructure 
2.    Bringing forward key town centre opportunity sites 
3.    Creating the conditions for new high-grade business space 
4.    Developing town centre neighbourhood amenities 
5.    Governance, engagement and co-ordination 
6.    Marketing, branding and inward investment 
7.    Complementary policy

Crawley already has a thriving business presence and a great retail and leisure offer but it still has a lot more to give. Just some of the existing town centre retailers and businesses include:

Business

• ASB Law
• ASSI (Air Safety Support International)
• Barrington James
• DMH Stallard
• EMW Law
• Graves Jenkins
• Irwin Mitchell
• Rapidata
• Rapp UK
• RDJW Architects
• Regus
• RSM
• SHW
• Theradex (Europe)
• Travelopia
• Vail Williams 

Retail and leisure

• B&M Home Store
• Decathlon
• Dunelm
• HMV
• Hotel Chocolat
• iStore
• Longdan Oriental Supermarket
• M&S
• Next
• Pret a Manger
• Primark
• River Island
• Superdry
• TK Maxx
• Turtle Bay
• Wildwood

Along with a diverse retail offer which, despite the huge changes in retailing, continues to evolve, a rapidly increasing number of town centre residential properties have been delivered with many more in the pipeline.

Leisure options are excellent in the town centre with a large leisure park home to top names like Hollywood Bowl, Cineworld and Nuffield Health, along with a wide range of restaurants. Crawley’s Historic High Street has a growing cluster of pubs, bars and restaurants.

Supporting the vibrancy and neighbourhood facilities is Crawley College, part of the Chichester College group and rated ‘Outstanding’ by the Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills (OFSTED). The facility offers education opportunities to thousands of local students each year and in 2021, saw the opening of a new £5million state-of-the-art Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) Centre on its campus.

Key strategic opportunity sites include:
 

• Crawley Station and Car Parks
• Telford Place
• County Buildings
• The Broadway and Cross Keys
• Town Hall (land north of the Boulevard)
• Crawley College
• MOKA, Station Way

There’s still room for business to grow and we’re looking to create even more space to enable a diverse range of businesses to both start and develop.

Recent years and months have seen a host of successful new openings and moves into the town centre including Five Guys, Dunelm, Wagamama, Barrington James and Tesco Express not to mention a good range of independents.

Thanks to the support of our partners and Crawley Borough Council’s commitment to the Town Centre Regeneration Programme, a lot of work has taken place since the first edition was launched in 2016.

Crawley Growth Programme: Working in partnership with West Sussex County Council, successful bids to the Coast to Capital Local Enterprise Partnership for £15.4million helps pay for a number of transformational improvements including public realm and road infrastructure, sustainable transport improvements and business space upgrades.

Towns Fund: In 2019, Crawley was 1 of 101 places invited to develop Town Deal proposals as part of the Towns Fund. Following submission of a Town Investment Plan in 2020, Crawley was granted £21.1million to help boost job creation, green business growth and economic recovery.

Queens Square: This £3.2million, award-winning regeneration scheme was completed in 2017 and has attracted £30million private sector investment into the surrounding area. The Square has re-established itself as the heart of the town centre and has become a focal point for events.

Queensway and The Pavement: Completed in November 2019, this £2.2million project extended the public realm regeneration from Queens Square along key connector streets; Queensway and the Pavement, improving sightlines to Memorial Gardens and Crawley College

Station Gateway: Planning permission granted in 2021 for a significant residential-led mixed-use development including a new train station. Funding secured and concept designs prepared for complementary and integrated highways and public realm improvements along Station Way and Friary Way.

Town Hall: Demolition of existing site and construction of a major mixed-use development including a new town hall, significant residential development and 77,000 square feet of Grade A office space. Phase one completed in 2022.

District Heat Network: Construction of a new energy centre on the former town hall site to serve new and existing buildings and help reduce energy and carbon emissions for connected local residents. Phase one due completed in 2022. 

Geraint Thomas House: Attractive, modern design for 91 affordable homes on a former public car park site. Completed in 2021.

Affordable Homes: A number of council-led affordable housing development schemes have been delivered or are under construction in the town centre, providing a sustainable location for people to live and work. Supported by a number of private developments, this recognises that more people are choosing to live and work ‘in town’. 

Town Centre Business Improvement District (BID): In November 2019, town centre businesses voted in favour of establishing a BID, which will unlock more than £2million of investment over the next five years and help to create a thriving town centre.

Employment and Skills Programme: Launched to improve the prospects and opportunities for Crawley residents and updated in 2019, this programme of work has seen significant progress including Employ Crawley, a new Youth Employment Support Hub and a Town Centre Skills Academy.

Signage and wayfinding: New town centre signage has been designed and installed, in line with the place branding design. 
Crawley College STEM Centre – brand new £5million facility, opened in 2021, providing virtual and mixed reality technology and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) facilities.

Town Centre Professional Services Forum: Forum of professional services companies that meet on a regular basis with the aim of making a demonstrable difference to the town centre’s day and night economy and local skills and employment.

Inward investment: New website launched and an inward investment programme developed to promote the wealth of opportunities in the town and attract new investment. 

Joint partners, Crawley Borough Council (CBC) and West Sussex County Council (WSCC), secured £15.4million of funding from the Coast to Capital Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), as part of a £73 million public funding investment package. The funding is supporting delivery of the Crawley Growth Programme to deliver a range of public space, sustainable transport infrastructure and highways improvements, alongside property acquisition/refurbishment to boost the supply of modern business space. 

Queens Square – 2017: A £3.2million project jointly funded by WSCC and the LEP and delivered by CBC. Construction work to transform the heart of the town centre included high-quality granite paving, greatly improved lighting, granite seating/planters and a central, decorative water feature. The town’s bandstand was successfully relocated to Memorial Gardens, creating an attractive new performance space. The project has been a catalyst for wider investment, attracting more than £30million private sector investment in the surrounding properties in the form of new occupiers (including Decathlon, Metrobank and La Rusta), building renovation and store refurbishment. 

Queensway and The Pavement – 2019: Delivered through the Crawley Growth Programme, as an extension to the successful regeneration of Queens Square, this £2.2m scheme was completed in November 2019 and included high-quality paving, larger disabled parking bays, new seating, cycle racks, signage and lighting. The scheme opened up the entrance to Memorial Gardens, with sympathetic landscaping and improved sightlines towards Crawley College and County Mall. 

Eastern Gateway 2021-2022: An £9million Crawley Growth Programme project, led by WSCC, to improve the public space, connectivity and reduce the existing severance in the town centre created by large roads. Works completed in 2022 to implement new cycling and walking infrastructure, soft landscaping to create a pleasant environment and support key development opportunities coming forward at strategic opportunity sites including the Town Hall, County Buildings, Crawley College and Telford Place. 

Station Gateway 2023-2026: Integrated, sustainable access and public realm improvements including the regeneration of Friary Way and the bus station. The £5.4million public space project, funded by the Crawley Growth programme, will see greatly improved cycle and pedestrian access between Crawley train station, bus station, County Mall and The Broadway. Additional funding of £2million from the Towns Fund and £5.3million from the Bus Service Improvement Plan will deliver an enhanced bus station and improve bus and traffic flows, complemented by new soft landscaping and public realm improvements to enhance the living environment in this part of the town centre. This will help to progress a major development on the site itself, led by the Arora Group, including over 300 high-quality, new apartments and the transformation of Overline House to create a new Crawley train station.

Sustainable transport improvements 2023-2025: Funded by the Crawley Growth Programme, the project will support sustainable living in the town centre and improve the environment and living conditions for new residents. Work includes a new and improved bus station in the town centre and the roll out of a new fleet of low emission and hydrogen buses from Metrobus, supported by enhanced bus routes. 

Improving walking and cycling 2022-2024: WSCC and CBC have identified key cycle route improvement priorities in the town centre, supported by the Crawley Transport Strategy ‘New Directions’. £1.1m drawn down from the Crawley Growth Programme will help to improve connectivity by removing physical barriers and creating better spaces for walking and cycling. The scheme will focus on the western end of The Boulevard and deliver improved, sustainable transport facilities, completing the link from The Boulevard to existing cycle infrastructure in the High Street. 

The Broadway and Cross Keys – undetermined: There is potential for public space improvements to complement new build residential development and retail space and align with other developable sites coming forward in the area. Drawing on other public funding sources may also be an option here. 
 

There are a number of key town centre sites either in the pipeline or providing opportunities not yet taken up. As town centre living continues to grow and to meet the demand for modern, town centre business space, all such sites are for mixed use.

Station Gateway: The Arora Group, in partnership with Network Rail, CBC, WSCC and Govia Thameslink Railway, is to transform the existing railway station site. This will include the complete refurbishment and extension of Overline House, providing 81 apartments, with two additional floors and ground level business/retail units. Three additional new blocks comprising 223 apartments will be built to the west of Overline House. Planning permission granted April 2021.

Town Hall: 2019-2024 Crawley Borough Council and developers Westrock have commenced construction of a £150million major mixed-use, phased regeneration scheme that includes The Create Building; a new, nine storey energy efficient building comprising a new Town Hall and 77,000 square feet Grade-A office space, adjacent to 273 new apartments, including 109 affordable homes, a new public square, new commercial units and infrastructure for a district heat network. Phase 1 completed in 2022, to be followed by phase 2 in 2023 to 2025.

Crawley College: brand new facility on campus, opened in Spring 2021, is home to a suite of innovative and interactive spaces, containing virtual and mixed reality technology and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) facilities which put the college at the cutting edge of training delivery across a range of subjects. The £5m centre was funded by the Coast to Capital Local Enterprise Partnership; recognising the skills needs of local employers in the Gatwick Diamond. This is the first phase of development for a wider masterplan covering the whole campus, which will allow the release of some land in the north of the College site to be released for residential-led mixed-use development.

Telford Place: Crawley Borough Council is working in partnership to bring forward a mixed-use, residential led scheme on this site. The scheme will deliver approximately 300 new homes as part of the regeneration of Crawley town centre. The site, previously used as a temporary car park, will provide a variety of tenures. A planning application is expected in 2023. 

County Buildings: Crawley Borough Council is working closely with owners WSCC, through the One Public Estate Partnership, to find partners with the aim of delivering a mixed-use development at this key town centre site. It is a prime location for high-grade commercial and residential use, offering another exciting opportunity for a major town centre regeneration scheme.

The Broadway and Cross Keys: The planning vision is to establish vibrancy in this part of town through the activation of unused areas, increased permeability of footfall flows to the historic High Street and the strengthening of perimeter sites including active edges on all sides of developments. The first phase is complete with 78 new apartments above ground level commercial space delivered at 15 to 29 The Broadway.

Institute of Technology – a successful bid, led by the Chichester College Group to create the Surrey and Sussex Institute of Technology, will deliver a new state-of-the-art centre at Crawley College, housing engineering and digital ‘learning factories’ to provide new pathways for learners to expand their knowledge and develop valuable skills that are in demand from local employers. Expected to be complete by 2024.

Town Centre Commercial Space and Business Networking Hubs: Working with stakeholders, we aim to provide prominent venues for businesses and local entrepreneurs to hot-desk, co-work, meet and to do business. Their locations will maximise usage by micro-enterprises and business people on the move. Funded by the Crawley Growth Programme, a priority project will see regeneration of the former Queensway stores (at the corner of Queens Square and Queensway) to deliver high-quality, flexible business space on the upper floors. A planning application is expected in 2023. Other suitable sites will continue to be considered/encouraged for similar use.

Commercial Eastern Gateway masterplan: Funding from the Towns Fund will be used to produce a comprehensive delivery plan for the build out of further phases of new commercial space at the eastern gateway to the town centre, retaining and enhancing the town centre’s professional services employment base, building on momentum generated by the new Create Building.

Live-work space: Aiming to attract professionals keen to access office space close to home in order to reduce costs and improve work/life balance. 

Delivering new commercial space – the new Create Building has delivered 77,000 square feet of Grade A commercial space over five floors that will seek to attract companies from the professional services business sector looking to trade from high quality premises in Crawley town centre. The energy efficient building has excellent natural light and benefits from LG7 LED lighting with gigabit superfast broadband available throughout.

Upgrading existing commercial space: Creating and improving relationships with property owners is encouraging building upgrades and refurbishment, e.g. high quality, residential conversion at 1 to 3 Queens Square and the Boulevard. Enforcement powers will be considered where properties are of a poor quality and owners are not willing to make the necessary improvements.

As the way we live continues to change and the need increases to find more space for housing while reducing our impact on the environment, town centres can provide an excellent solution for a more sustainable living environment. Crawley town centre will encompass good quality living, a wealth of facilities, amenities, jobs and excellent sustainable transport options which will encourage modal shift and reduce congestion. 
Sustainable developments are required within the town centre which are defined as ‘development that meets the social, economic and environmental needs of the present without compromising the needs of the future.’

Employ Crawley: A flagship project within Crawley Borough Council’s Employment and Skills Programme, Employ Crawley launched in 2017 and has been hugely successful in supporting hundreds of local residents on their journey into work. Delivered in collaboration with Jobcentre Plus, West Sussex County Council and a range of partners, the service secured additional funding in 2020 to provide a dedicated Youth Employment Support Hub – directly in response to the impact of the pandemic on local young people.

Memorial Gardens: Ensure this flagship town centre park is used to its full potential. This has been assisted by the redevelopment of Queens Square and Queensway which opened up the entrance of the park, relocated the bandstand into a prominent location in the gardens and improved sightlines to Crawley College and County Mall. A new and improved children’s play area in the gardens, including accessible play equipment and a wheelchair swing, opened to the public in 2020.

A new Cultural Quarter: Funding from the Towns Fund will be used to design a new cultural quarter in the town centre, identifying locations for new cultural and events venues, set up a programme of pop-up arts and cultural events and unlock new cultural amenities as key assets for a vibrant town centre neighbourhood.

Crawley market: Crawley’s existing market is located along the Broadway and Haslett Avenue West every Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 9.30am to 4.30pm. The recent regeneration of Queensway includes specifically designed space to enable a quality market to grow and thrive. 

Crawley Museum: A combination of Heritage Lottery fund and Crawley Borough Council capital programme funds enabled the conversion of The Tree, one of the oldest buildings in the town centre into Crawley’s museum.

GP Surgery/NHS Clinic/dentist services: As the volume of residential accommodation grows in the town centre, the demand for GP Surgery and NHS dentist services is likely to grow. Officers are reviewing these services with health sector colleagues to determine if additional provision is required, both as amenities for the new neighbourhood and to attract footfall. 

Town Centre Skills Academy: In 2019, the council was awarded Skills Academy status by the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) for existing and forthcoming construction sites in the town centre.

Improving public toilet provision: Along with reviewing existing provision to ensure modern facilities are provided in the right location, the new Town Hall will provide fully accessible public toilet facilities during opening hours, including a new adult Changing Place facility, similar to the one that opened in County Mall in 2017. These innovative facilities include hoist assistance and an adult sized changing bench to provide a safe, hygienic and dignified experience for people with disabilities.

Town Centre maintenance and cleaning: The council will provide a robust and responsive town centre maintenance and cleaning programme to ensure the quality of public spaces is kept to a high standard.

Health, safety and wellbeing: Crawley Borough Council and its partners are striving to create a town centre which is safe and has a positive impact on the health and wellbeing of residents and visitors. This includes investing in culture, public art and performance; working with partners to address health inequalities, deliver safe and healthy homes and working with food retailers and caterers to promote healthy, safe food through schemes like Eat Out Eat Well.

Bridgefield House: Purchased by Crawley Borough Council in 2018, the site has been developed to provide a part 8/part 6 storey building, comprising 98 affordable flats, with associated parking and landscaping. Completed 2021.

Engagement and partnership with town centre site owners/landlords: The council is strengthening relationships with town centre site owners and landlords in order to work together to attract new businesses, to develop a common vision for town centre regeneration and to establish co-operation and partnership in regeneration delivery.

Independent retailers support: Enable independent retailers to have a strong voice within town centre plans and help them take part in its delivery. Support them to access services which strengthen business including bespoke training and small business grant schemes. 

Town Centre Business Improvement District (BID) – A new Town Centre BID was established in 2020, following a successful ballot in which 68% of eligible businesses voted in favour. In excess of £2.25million will be invested into the BID area over the next five years, delivering a range of projects and initiatives designed to make the town centre safer and more vibrant, where businesses feel more connected and where the offer is widely promoted and showcased. The funds will be spent on priority initiatives as set out in the Town Centre BID Business Plan. More information can be found at www.crawleytowncentrebid.co.uk

Town Centre Professional Services Business Forum: this forum includes representatives from town centre banks, law and accountancy firms, commercial agents, architects and Crawley College. Regular meetings are held with the aim of making a demonstrable difference to the centre’s day and night economies, and local skills and employment, complementing and supporting objectives outlined in both the Town Centre Regeneration Programme and the Employment and Skills Programme. 

Strengthen links between the town centre and Manor Royal: Explore and define how town centre stakeholders, through the Town Centre BID, should co-operate more closely with the Manor Royal BID. Strengthen business and commercial links between the town centre and Manor Royal.

Diverted Giving: the council is proactively working with key partners, including Crawley Open House, Greater Change, Sussex Police and the Safer Crawley Partnership to support local businesses and the street homeless community. This includes an increased presence of Community Wardens and outreach workers, responsive street cleansing, education and the use of new technology to promote and enable ‘responsible giving’ by the public.

Towns Fund – In 2019, Crawley was 1 of 101 places invited to develop Town Deal proposals as part of the Towns Fund. Following submission of a Town Investment Plan in 2020, Crawley was granted £21.1million to help boost job creation, business growth and economic recovery. Guided by the Town Deal Board, the Council is working with partners to deliver ten priority projects, including a new commercial eastern gateway plan for the town centre, a transformed bus station and sustainable transport interchange and a new cultural quarter in the town centre. More information can be found at www.investcrawley.co.uk/partners/towns-fund

Vibrant town centre events programme: Help to create a clear identity and character for the town centre whilst generating footfall and promoting a positive reputation through a high-quality programme of events. The Council supports a year round programme of seasonal events that benefit the town centre including Run Gatwick, Crawley Pride, Armed Forces Day and Crawley Festival. The programme is being expanded in partnership with stakeholders including the Town Centre BID, Professional Services Forum, Arts Council, retailers and other businesses. 2022 saw a special programme of events celebrating the town’s 75th anniversary. The council takes its lead from an internal events team and dedicated Events Officer. 

Strong town centre place branding: A strong, dynamic and honest place brand has been developed for Crawley town centre through partnership work and research with stakeholders. The brand, which aims to help create a positive image and attract more footfall, business and resident pride, can be seen on town centre signage, hoardings around key development sites and the inward investment programme. 

High quality signage and wayfinding: Monoliths and finger posts have been installed across the town centre, underpinned by a wayfinding strategy to encourage visitors to explore and navigate the main character areas. Additional signage was installed from 2021 to 2022, including a new Conservation Area sign in the Historic High Street. 

Inward Investment Programme: The council is working with key partners to deliver an innovative inward investment programme, designed to showcase the growing business investment in Crawley and the wealth of development and occupier opportunities in the town. The programme includes regular business newsletters, marketing materials, Investor Tours and a programme of targeted events e.g. business breakfasts, participation at Real Estate Live.

Invest Crawley website: the council has developed a regeneration website to promote the physical, economic and community regeneration of the town. The site, which features the place branding, includes an interactive development map, highlighting key opportunity sites to potential investors and occupiers. Visit www.investcrawley.co.uk for regular updates on Town Centre Regeneration Programme projects.

Arts and Culture – Working in partnership with Creative Crawley and other stakeholders to deliver a three year programme of creativity in Crawley. The project, headed by £1million investment from Arts Council England, will support local people to engage in high quality arts and cultural activities, attracting further investment and footfall to the area. It will provide a benchmark for delivering Crawley’s innovative regeneration plans using arts and culture as a catalyst for social and economic change.

The Crawley Local Plan 2015 and emerging 2022 to 2037 Local Plan: The council has developed clear planning policy and guidance to enable the sustainable regeneration of the town centre through Crawley’s Local Plan which is being refreshed for the period 2022 to 2037. 

The emerging Local Plan highlights the town centre as an economic centre of Crawley and a key component of Crawley’s economic role in the sub-region, stating that “redeveloping and revitalising the town centre….will reinforce the status of Crawley as the place to do business in the south east. The revitalised town centre will be the heart of the town, providing a central point for local people and others from across the region to enjoy social activities, shopping, culture and entertainment both during the day and at night. It will have a welcoming and attractive family-friendly environment. The town centre will become a business growth hub and a recognised neighbourhood with local facilities supporting its residents.”

Over 2,000 residential dwellings are set to come forward within the town centre during the Plan period and with a growing residential population, the “town centre is increasingly becoming a neighbourhood in its own right, requiring supporting facilities and services required to meet the needs of people that live there”.

The relevant Local Plan policies for the town centre respond to the need to: 

• Protect the retail core with flexibility to enable a broad range of other uses, where appropriate, capable of diversifying Crawley’s offer 
• Facilitate the development of town centre neighbourhood facilities/amenities 
• Ensure ‘active and engaging frontages’ at ground floor level 
• Promote a ‘town centre first’ approach to considering proposals for main town centre uses in Crawley, including for hotel and visitor accommodation 
• Highlight ‘key opportunity sites’ for mixed use 
  development within the town centre boundary, where development must demonstrate that it “positively contributes to the vitality and viability of Crawley town centre and sustainable economic growth and job creation in the borough” 
• Promote a vibrant town centre with a successful evening and night-time economy 
• Support the creative industries and encourage innovation 
• Managing the balance between commercial and residential uses

The appropriate balance of mixed uses across the area is imperative in order to contribute to a vibrant new neighbourhood and a dynamic hive of business and economic activity in the town centre. 

The council is committed to formulating complementary policy which allows it to protect the unique character of Crawley’s new town architecture, including the historic High Street, and distinctive uniformity, whilst encouraging and enabling high-quality development proposals within the town centre that are in keeping with the surrounding environment. 

Employment and Skills Programme 2019 to 2024: The council, in partnership with stakeholders, has developed a clear programme of action to tackle some of the skills issues affecting some Crawley residents. The plan highlights workforce qualification, employment and average salary levels, and identifies priorities for improving workforce skills development and employment. 

Employ Crawley: A flagship project within the Employment and Skills Programme, Employ Crawley was launched in 2017, expanded in 2020 to provide a Youth Employment Support Hub and has gone from strength to strength with hundreds of local residents assisted on their journey into work and into higher skilled, higher paid employment since it opened. Operating from the Town Hall, Crawley Library and community based locations, Employ Crawley helps local people access a range of free and bespoke support, advice and guidance from specialist organisations in the town, matching local residents to job opportunities and helping employers access a local talent pool. Visit www.investcrawley.co.uk/employment-and-skills to find out more.

Town Centre Skills Academy: In 2019, the council won Skills Academy status for existing and forthcoming construction sites in the town centre, including Kilnmead, the new Town Hall and the Crawley College STEM Centre. Skills academy status is granted by the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) if there is a commitment from site developers, working with the College, Jobcentre Plus and the council to maximise the recruitment of local residents into construction site jobs and apprenticeships. 

Climate Emergency ‘Action to Zero’ – published in late 2021, the plan sets out how the council will reduce its carbon emissions by at least 50% and as close to net zero as possible by 2030, and reach net zero by 2040 at the very latest. This will be achieved by working in partnership to deliver energy and transport projects including the development of a countywide electric vehicle charging network, delivery of a District Heat Network in the town centre and a range of sustainable transport improvements and working with developers to achieve water neutrality. 

Crawley College Construction Skills Hub – funding from the Town Fund will deliver a new construction skills hub on the college campus, focusing on delivering green technology skills to support decarbonisation and net zero objectives.

Affordable housing: The council is committed to ensuring affordable housing developments are unlocked within the town centre, building on the success of previous schemes including Kilnmead, Bridgefield House and Geraint Thomas House.

Community safety: Work with police, Town Centre BID ambassadors, voluntary sector and local agencies to uphold the town centre as a safe and friendly environment with a positive reputation.

Action through enforcement: Working with colleagues in the Town Centre BID and other stakeholders, the council will consider taking enforcement action to oblige town centre property owners to tackle and improve poor quality buildings, remove unauthorised development and ensure compliance with planning conditions. This will improve the town centre environment and encourage pride, footfall and investment.

Transport Strategy – the council is committed to enabling healthier and more sustainable transport options and is working with partners to deliver a new Transport Strategy, working closely with West Sussex County Council, to improve how we travel around the town and improve the choice of transport options available. New Directions for Crawley’ set outs a vision of a walkable town, supported by sustainable public transport, car clubs and safe cycling, using a mix of innovative and integrated transport facilities to serve everyone’s needs.
 

Achieving this ambitious long-term goal for a vibrant and dynamic town centre can only be achieved through a comprehensive public/private partnership. We will continue to work with town centre stakeholders to make it happen. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our existing town centre partners for their work so far and look forward to creating with them a bright and prosperous future for the town centre.