Views sought on first phase of major town centre regeneration scheme

Phase one of the Station Gateway regeneration scheme will include transformation of the public spaces on The Martlets, Haslett Avenue West and Friary Way, with traffic flow changes for buses to create a more attractive environment for pedestrians, cyclists and bus passengers.

This is just the first phase of an ambitious plan, driven by the Council’s Town Centre Regeneration Programme, to attract tens of millions of pounds of private investment in new residential, retail, and commercial development in the area.

There is an opportunity to view and discuss the phase one plans at drop-in sessions scheduled for Thursday, February 29, from 6pm to 7.30pm, in the Town Hall, and two inside County Mall: Thursday, March 8, from 10am to 2pm, and March 14, from 3pm to 6pm.

This round of public consultation will last for four weeks, until March 18. The council intends to submit a planning application later this year and during that process there will be three weeks of formal consultation.

The council is inviting feedback from all residents, businesses and stakeholders on the proposals, which will then be refined, developed, and progressed further, taking account of the comments received.

Councillor Atif Nawaz, Deputy leader of the Council and Cabinet member for Planning and Economic Development, said: “This transformative initiative marks a significant step forward in our commitment to revitalising key public spaces and improving the efficiency of the bus station in Crawley town centre.

“We invite everyone to participate in the public consultation process so that together we can shape a more vibrant, accessible and thriving Crawley town centre which reflects the collective desires of our community.”

Visit our consultation pages to see the concept plans and to complete the public engagement questionnaire.

The Station Gateway phase one scheme is funded by £7.5 million from the Crawley Growth Programme and the government’s Towns Fund. The council agreed the full allocation of the funding last December.

This scheme follows on from Network Rail’s major investment in modernizing Crawley railway station and complement the Arora Group’s plans to deliver 306 apartments by converting Overline House above the station and by constructing two additional blocks.