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Green light for £3m Crawley town centre redevelopment

Crawley Borough Council and West Sussex County Council have confirmed plans to invest £3m into revitalising the Queens Square area, with work starting early next year and expected to be completed by autumn 2016.

The scheme aims to “redefine” Queens Square as the heart of the town centre, encouraging new and existing building owners and businesses to invest in the area, potentially acting as a “catalyst for wider regeneration.”

Members of Crawley Borough Council’s Development Control Committee voted to approve the plans at its meeting on Monday evening.

Urban design agency Burns + Nice has partnered with the council on the project, having previously developed three concepts (formal, diagonal and curves), which all incorporated a level square with attractive planting, seating, lighting, water jets and ample space for alfresco dining and future events.

An extensive consultation in November showed that the curves concept was respondents’ preferred design and the council’s Cabinet approved this as the final concept in March.

Councillor Peter Smith, Cabinet member for Planning and Economic Development at Crawley Borough Council, said: “I’m delighted that these plans were approved last night and look forward to seeing work start early next year.

“The Queens Square redevelopment, which is a key part of our town centre regeneration programme, will go a long way to improving the core of the town centre and will integrate with other exciting developments that we are bringing forward later this year.”

John O’Brien, West Sussex County Council Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport, said: “This will be a huge boost for the town which will not only improve the look and feel of the area, but also hopefully encourage further investment and regeneration.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ellen Forster .