Plans to create a safer and more direct route for cyclists and pedestrians between Crawley town centre and Manor Royal Business Park are now open for public comment. West Sussex County Council is consulting on a scheme for Northgate Avenue that would introduce a segregated two-way cycle track, new crossings and a lower speed limit.
The proposals, funded through the Department for Transport’s Capability Fund, would see the existing 40mph limit dropped to 30mph, with the new cycle track running along one side of the road by removing part of the grass verge. Two new Toucan crossings would appear near Hermits Road and Gales Drive, and a parallel crossing is planned across Woodfield Road. The consultation runs until 11.55pm on 5 August 2026, and residents can also attend a drop-in event at Northgate Community Centre on 2 July from 4pm to 7pm.
If built, the Northgate Avenue improvements would link directly to the Eastern Gateway Scheme finished in 2022, forging a continuous active travel corridor past Crawley College, the Town Hall and County Buildings. The project forms part of Route A in the Crawley Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan, adopted by Crawley Borough Council in 2021 and ranked among three priority schemes county-wide. Officers point to research suggesting nearly 5,000 Gatwick Airport employees could be encouraged to cycle to work, with more than half of the airport’s staff already living in Crawley.
Early concept designs were tested with the public in 2022, and the current version reflects that feedback by switching to a single bi-directional cycle track rather than one-way lanes on both sides of the road. West Sussex County Council has stressed that any move to construction depends on the outcome of this consultation and securing further funding. The survey and full details are available on the council’s Your Voice engagement platform.
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