Residents and businesses across Crawley can now have their say on ambitious plans to overhaul the eastern side of the town centre, with a public consultation launched on 23 June by Crawley Borough Council. The draft Town Centre East Regeneration Plan covers key sites around the Town Hall, County Buildings, Crawley College, Queensway, Queens Square, and The Boulevard.
The engagement runs until Friday 24 July 2026, with all feedback gathered through the council’s consultation portal. The proposals sketch out 30,000 square metres of commercial floor space, more than 21,000 square metres of new education facilities at Crawley College, expanded cultural venues, and around 850 new homes. Councillor Atif Nawaz, Cabinet member for Planning and Economic Development, said the draft represents an exciting opportunity to shape the future of Town Centre East and ensure it meets the needs of residents, businesses and visitors for years to come.
The masterplan now open for public comment was shaped by urban design consultancy Farrells, which the council appointed in November 2025 alongside Iceni Economics and Core Five. The work was partly funded through the government’s Crawley Towns Fund programme and ran until February this year, examining six development parcels including the former town hall site, the old County Buildings block, and the Queensway Block.
Crawley, a town of roughly 112,000 people near Gatwick Airport, expanded swiftly during the post-war new town programme. The council is simultaneously progressing other regeneration schemes, including the Station Gateway project bringing £7.4 million of investment into public spaces and pedestrian areas, and the recently opened Crawley Innovation Centre in Manor Royal.
Councillor Nawaz added that the council wants to hear from as many people as possible to refine and strengthen the proposals so the final vision reflects local priorities and aspirations.
About this article: This story was put together with the help of AI tools and checked by a real person on our team. We're a small crew trying to cover as much of the UK as we can on a limited budget. We're getting better every day - but we're not perfect yet. If something looks off, let us know. You're part of the process.
