Demolition and redevelopment of the County Buildings site in Exchange Road, Crawley, is critical to demonstrating progress for the One Public Estate Programme (OPE) and plays a vital role in the wider regeneration of Crawley Town Centre.
The decision to approve the partial demolition of Crawley County Buildings was taken in August 2017, recognising it as a key project within the One Public Estate programme.
Since that time, a lot of work has been happening behind the scenes to take the project forward. In June 2020, West Sussex County Council (WSCC) agreed an allocation of £857,000 to fund the partial demolition of the WSCC owned property at County Buildings.
The demolition works were completed by DDS Demolition Ltd in late Spring 2021. The demolition has not affected the Magistrate Courts. However, future plans for Centenary House, which hosts the Change, Grow, Live services, would be assessed as the lease of the current occupiers will be ending in 2023.
The assessment for the future of Centenary House will consider whether to add the building to the wider land assembly or to continue to lease the building for future use as office spaces.
The partial demolition of the site will provide a vacant and developable site that can support:
- increased marketability and value of the County Buildings site
- delivery of key projects identified in both the OPE Programme
- development of a WSCC asset in Crawley Town Centre that will secure revenue incomes for the County Council
- delivery of around 200 homes in Crawley Town Centre
- delivery of around 4,000sqm of commercial space in Crawley Town Centre
- development of a diverse and vibrant town centre in Crawley
- a connecting thread that contributes to place-making opportunities in Crawley whilst working with and aligning with ongoing plans for redevelopment in Crawley college, the Town Centre, Crawley Town Hall and the Crawley local plan and associated supplementary planning documents.
The Crawley Growth Programme is a delivery mechanism and aims to achieve the economic growth outcomes agreed in the Crawley Growth Deal. The County Buildings form a key project within the Growth Programme.
The County Buildings and Fire Station sites will contribute towards the applicable aims with regards to the Crawley Growth Programme:
- delivering much-needed new Grade A office space
- enabling new town centre homes to be built
- grow new retail investment
- transform the business and living environment in the town centre.