Crawley has been given the go ahead to move to the next stage in developing 10 projects worth £21.1m to help drive the town’s economic recovery.
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has written to the Crawley Town Deal Board to confirm that it can now proceed to the next stage to fully develop 10 project business cases in detail to receive the money from the Towns Fund between 2021/22 and 2025/26.
The projects will help boost job creation, business growth and economic recovery; develop skills, innovation and sustainability; and enhance art and culture amenities for businesses and residents.
They are:
- Crawley innovation centre – establishing Crawley’s first advanced engineering and digital technologies fusion centre in Manor Royal
- Invest in skills – green construction skills training programmes, new further education skills training infrastructure and expand university-level training provision to help Crawley residents boost qualifications
- Green business technology and infrastructure grants – to attract green technology and construction businesses to Crawley, support their growth and help decarbonise business premises
- New commercial Eastern Gateway plan for the town centre – as a business space hub for professional services
- A transformed bus station and sustainable transport interchange
- An investment programme in a priority arterial and segregated cycle track – to link key employment destinations between Gatwick Airport, Manor Royal and the town centre, to maximise “active commuting”
- Manor Royal Gigabit Business Park – a programme for Manor Royal businesses to connect to full fibre infrastructure and digital services.
- Designing a new Cultural Quarter and programme in the town centre – to unlock employment and business growth in the cultural and creative industries
- Manor Royal business environment improvement programme – business environment upgrades and modernisation
- Crawley home “green retrofitting” programme – to design, launch and deliver home “green retrofit” grants to help the push to net zero carbon.
The projects will be guided by the Crawley Town Deal Board, an established group of more than 50 representatives from local businesses, community organisations and public organisations. This will ensure each project remains focused on community and business needs.
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