The number of houses built in Crawley has fallen below the annual target for the first time since 2015 due to water neutrality rules which stop development.

The council traditionally has an enviable record in relation to housebuilding. Since 2015, the number of homes built in Crawley exceeds the Local Plan target by 30 per cent. Of the 1,212 affordable homes were built in Crawley between 2015/16 and 2022/23 – 47 per cent of all homes built over the period, which exceeds the council’s 40 per cent target.

The council’s Authority Monitoring Report, which details annual performance against planning policies, shows that the delivery of new housing has dropped below the Local Plan target for the first time since it was launched nine years ago.

In 2022/23, only 190 homes were completed in the town instead of the target of 340. Only 78 affordable homes were built in that year, which is 57 per cent of the annual target.

The single biggest factor has been the imposition of water neutrality by Natural England because of the impact of water extraction on the local environment. This prevents any development or change of use that increases water usage in Crawley. It requires developers, including the council, to demonstrate water savings elsewhere before development can progress.

This is one of the reasons why the council unanimously declared a housing emergency in February of this year. This constraint on development, at a time when the need for additional housing in the town has never been higher, is having significant impact on those in greatest need within the town.

The council wrote to the government in March in relation to the housing emergency but has received no response to date.

The Harlequin Theatre and Cinema has responded to questions raised by local residents about the safety of neighbouring shops in the Warwick Quadrant.  RAAC concrete was discovered last year in the Theatre building. 

It says the building’s managing agents confirm the shops are not affected by Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC).  The Harlequin says the first floor slab, which sits above the ground floor units and below the theatre and library, is a solid reinforced concrete slab.

The discovery of RAAC in the Warwick Quadrant last Autumn saw both the closure of The Harlequin Theatre, and the relocation of Redhill Library to Consort House.

An event at Tilgate Nature Centre to raise money for Scottish Wildcats has raised more than £1000 for conservation programmes.

Tilgate Nature Centre has two of the critically endangered species– Angus and Fergus – and part of its work is to promote conservation.

The event gave visitors  a chance to join a number of keeper talks, see many of the animals close up.