Left to right: Steve Sawyer, BID CEO; Leader Jay Mercer; Cllr Lauren Lloyd; Cllr Yvonne Gravely; Nick Burrell, WSCC; Amanda Smith, WSCC
Release date: 20 August 2026
The Leader of West Sussex County Council, Cllr Jay Mercer, along with WSCC Cabinet Member for Economy and Skills, Cllr Yvonne Gravely, met the CEO of Manor Royal Business Improvement District (BID) to discuss opportunities for growth.
In light of the on-going Local Government Reorganisation, the county council and BID leaders focused on the importance of maintaining their close relationship and working in partnership to attract investment and drive improvements in the area for businesses and employees.
Topics of discussion ranged from the success of the Crawley Growth Programme - which included extending a bus lane to provide a dedicated route connecting the A23 London Road with Gatwick Road - to the progress being made on Re-Energise Manor Royal. The latter has been established to invest in renewable energy projects and make the energy supply more secure, sustainable and lower cost for businesses in the district.
Cllr Jay Mercer said: "Economic growth is crucial for West Sussex. Creating new, varied and better-paid job opportunities, attracting public and private sector investment, upgrading public infrastructure – these are all things that drive the Sussex economy and improve people's lives. The Manor Royal district is an important economic area in our county and the BID plays a vital role in co-designing and co-delivering projects that boost our regional productivity."
Steve Sawyer, Executive Director of Manor Royal BID, said: “We are grateful for the time Councillors Mercer and Gravely took to visit us in Manor Royal. We enjoyed a lively and engaging meeting where we discussed the numerous ways we can work together to deliver many notable improvements to the Business District since the creation of the Manor Royal BID. We also reflected on the challenges ahead and we look forward to continued close working with the County Council to ensure Manor Royal remains competitive, for the benefit that brings to businesses and residents alike.”
The Manor Royal business district is home to over 600 businesses, generates roughly 30,000 jobs, sits just south of London Gatwick Airport and is one of the South East's major employment hubs.
A list of current and former BID projects can be found here: Our Projects - Manor Royal Business District - Crawley and Gatwick
