Decision due on major redevelopment south of Crawley railway line

A major redevelopment of a site south of Crawley’s railway line is set to be discussed next week.
SUS-201026-143702001SUS-201026-143702001
SUS-201026-143702001

Developer A2 Dominion Group wants to knock down Longley House an office block next to the Arora Hotel Gatwick.

In its place would be a new block of 121 flats off East Park ranging from four to nine storeys tall.

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An application is set to be discussed by Crawley Borough Council’s planning committee on Tuesday (November 3).

The proposed building would have a U-shaped footprint with a central landscaped courtyard.

The application includes 58 vehicle parking spaces on the south-east and northern boundaries, with cycle storage shown in part of the ground floor.

The scheme would provide 100 per cent affordable units, split 50:50 between affordable rent and shared ownership.

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According to the developer: “Redevelopment offers the chance to remedy under-occupation on the site through creating a high quality new residential building that responds to local context and will act as a catalyst for future development.”

The Zurich House site to the west is being redeveloped and there are applications for large-scale development at both Overline House and the Moka nightclub building to the north of the railway line.

Officers note a high rise and relatively dense development for the Longley House site is appropriate, but the scheme does have regard for the lower density residential areas to the south and west at Clitherow Gardens, Richmond Court and East Park.

In their report, they said: “The building design has responded to reflect the surrounding change in height, grain, massing and urban character along the site boundaries. The height and massing of the scheme at these points reflects this and incorporates design features to respond to this scale and character and provide a transition between the differing scales of the surrounding development.”

They concluded: “The proposal would provide a significant number of new affordable residential units in a highly sustainable location within the town centre boundary.”