County Council supports Crawley’s city bid as part of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee

Friday, 3 December 2021 06:00

By RNHJourno

West Sussex County Council is backing Crawley Borough Council to put in a city bid as part of the national ‘Civic Honours Competition’ for 2022.

The competition marks the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, and these rare awards will grant winning towns with ‘city status’ and ‘Lord Mayor or Provost status’ for the first time in 10 years.

Paul Marshall, Leader of West Sussex County Council, said: “After wide-ranging consultations with Cabinet, the Chairman, all Crawley Members and the Leaders of the two main opposition groups, there was widespread support for the County Council to back Crawley’s bid to become a city.

“The timing of this bid not only celebrates the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, but also the 75th anniversary of the establishment of Crawley as a New Town. The town has developed and thrived during the entire reign of Her Majesty and the County Council sees nothing but enormous benefits from the town receiving city status.

“We will be on hand to provide further assistance to Crawley with their bid as required and wish them the best of luck with their entry.”

New Towns were a radical government initiative set up after the Second World War and were proposed to eradicate the ‘urban disease’ of inner cities by providing good-quality housing, solving overcrowding and addressing wider public wellbeing.

Following the passing of the New Towns Act of 1946, Crawley was the second area to be identified as a suitable New Town site in January 1947 and construction began in 1949.

The closing date for bids to be submitted to the ‘Civic Honours Competition’ is 8 December and the government will announce the winners of the competition in early 2022.

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