Why Crawley has now become the investment hotspot of the south
With an economy “punching well above its weight”, a track record for delivery and great quality of life, while still offering “opportunities for everybody”, it’s clear to see why Crawley is an investment hotspot.
At
the ‘Invest Crawley: Commercial Breakfast Briefing’ on March 20, it was highlighted
how 25 per cent of economic output in West Sussex is generated by Crawley
despite the borough occupying just 2 per cent of the land. Crawley also has the
second-highest job density in the country outside London with world-leading
companies based here, such as Virgin Atlantic, Elekta, Varian, Thales, Boeing
and many other professional services.
The
economy is made up of hi-tech sectors: STEM, creative industries, life sciences,
and the transport sectors around Gatwick Airport, the world’s biggest single
runway airport, providing 24,000 jobs. Manor Royal industrial area is “a jewel
in the crown”, home to 600 businesses and 30,000 jobs. Crawley Town Centre has
a thriving retail sector with a mix of big brands, independent shops and a high
weekly footfall.
Chief Executive of Crawley Borough Council, Natalie Brahma-Pearl, said:
“Crawley is a major economic region within the Gatwick Diamond and the Greater Brighton area. It is recognised that as a borough area, it punches well above its weight. Its close proximity to London as well as Brighton, works in our favour with great transport links, including four stations. We’ve got all the benefits of London but with more competitive rates.”
Further
strings to Crawley’s business bow include its broadband connectivity with the
borough’s already fast broadband receiving a further £20m direct investment
from City Fibre and a share of £19m from the Digital Spine project – a new
Business Rates pilot scheme.
“We want to be regarded as the South Korea of the south-east,” Ms Brahma-Pearl said. “We are more advanced than most areas in terms of digital connectivity and that’s what will drive business; how fast you can work.”
She noted that Centre for Cities had found Crawley to be “the most resilient place in England in terms of hard or soft Brexit”.
“So, it’s a really good place to invest,” she continued. “There are more and more cranes in Crawley and there’s a lot of development going on. People haven’t stopped investing and spending their money. Crawley is proactive and pro-growth, open to business and not a borough which rests on its laurels. We’re not taking about a visionary document or a plan, these things are actually happening.”
Some of the construction is arising from the 1,000 new
homes being built in Crawley town centre and a new Town Hall development including
homes, commercial space and the county’s first District Heat Network. New
incubator space has also come forward as well as brand new, state-of-the-art
buildings in Manor Royal.
A key scheme in Manor Royal that was showcased at the
breakfast is being brought forward by The Commercial Park Group (TCPG) which
has secured planning to develop two Grade A office buildings on Gatwick Road;
part of its wider plan to deliver a series of business parks across the South
East.
John Baker, Chairman of TCPG, chose Crawley as an alternative to London. His reasons included the connectivity, particularly the airport links, and the positive attitude of the Council as “good management is so hard to find”.
He explained: “We believe we’ve got to turn the clock around, people have been working very hard and they are pushed to the limits because they don’t work in great buildings. We want to enable the people of Crawley to work in a better way for themselves, which in turn will have a dramatic effect on staff retention, boosting the attractiveness of the Crawley area to major international companies. Our buildings are very well-designed – they’re glass, well-conceived light-wise and incorporate plenty of green elements including stunning garden terraces. This all contributes to the creation of an ambience that is conducive to employees’ wellbeing, inspiring them to come to work each day”.
“Any investment comes with the quality of life,” Ms Brahma-Pearl said. “You can have the most fabulous industrial and business units, and office blocks but it’s the quality of life that’s important. Is the place clean and well cared for? What’s the first and last impressions you have when you go and visit? We have some of the best leisure facilities in the South East. Crawley has the only 50m pool south of London, it has the Hawth Theatre and Tilgate Park. These are destination places and it’s about how we sell our brand, not just the buildings.”
This quality of life approach includes the rollout of
an Employment Skills Programme for people in the town as currently 43,000
people commuting in brings both opportunities and challenges.
Cabinet Member for Planning and Economic Development at Crawley Borough Council, Councillor Peter Smith, said: “We want to reduce congestion and help businesses. We’re trying to encourage more Crawley people to get the skills that businesses in the borough need.”
He explained how Crawley’s regeneration was
kick-started by a £14.6m cash injection from Coast to Capital Local Enterprise
Partnership which will be match funded by Crawley Borough Council and West
Sussex County Council. This also includes £2.5m of Section 106 funding
alongside £1m Community Infrastructure Levy funding. A further £28.9 million
from investors has also been allocated to unlock additional development.
“Crawley is open for business.” Cllr Smith added. “The political leadership very clearly understands public-private partnerships and is helping people to come and invest in Crawley. There are opportunities for everybody and there are plenty more opportunities to come; we’ve got big ambitions going forward.”
Crawley welcomes Furniture Village who will open a brand-new store in County Oak retail park this Boxing Day.
The new location offers a Carpetright concession, providing a one-stop-shop for customers looking to update their homes.
Visitors to the new Furniture Village store will be invited to create their ‘home in one’, by exploring collections for every room of the house, from sofas to beds to dining.
Charlie Harrison, Commercial Director at Furniture Village, comments:
“With much of the UK under lockdown, I’m delighted we’ve been able to open our new store in Crawley. County Oak is a fantastic shopping destination and the ideal choice for Furniture Village.
“It’s been a challenging year for everyone, but I am incredibly proud of the Furniture Village team which continues to offer industry-leading quality, choice and service. As well as Family Retailer of the Year, we’ve also been awarded National Bed Retailer of the Year so I’m particularly looking forward to welcoming customers to our new bed department.”
The store will see a team of 11 expert sales consultants offering valuable insights and advice to customers, all made possible thanks to enhanced Covid-19 safety measures.
These include temperature checks, PPE for all staff and hand sanitisation stations, along with an appointment booking system which can be accessed via the website.
Charlie Harrison, Commercial Director at Furniture Village, adds:
“Customer safety is still, and will continue to be, a priority for us. The feedback from all of our existing stores continues to be overwhelmingly positive, with the appointment booking system providing reassurance and exceptional service for customers.”
The store will open at 9am on Saturday 26th December 2020. Opening offers include Sale discounts of up to 50% plus an additional £50 off every £500 spent.
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