Running of Crawley’s neighbourhood parades to be reviewed

A scrutiny panel is to be set up to look into how well Crawley’s neighbourhood parades are being used and what improvements could be made in the future.

The borough council owns 11 of the town’s parades, with rents bringing in around £3m per year.

The rest – Peterhouse Parade and Shire Parade, in Pound Hill; the Maidenbower Centre; Broadfield Barton; and the shops on Three Bridges Road, opposite the station – are privately owned.

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During a virtual meeting of the overview & scrutiny commission on Monday (June 8), members were told the waiting list to lease space on the parades was 46 names long – even though rents had risen by an average of 93 per cent since 2004.

Three Bridges Parade saw the highest increase at 158 per cent, while Bewbush was the lowest at 51 per cent.

The council’s head of corporate finance said the rents had been ‘arguably too low’ in 2004 and not at market value, hence the higher than average increase.

Crawley new town was built on the neighbourhood principle, with each having its own parade of shops, facilities and services to support the day-to-day needs of residents.

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Times may have changed but the parades remain extremely popular, with only 13 vacancies recorded since 2010 and only one unit – on Furnace Green Parade – currently empty.

Bob Burgess (Con, Three Bridges) raised concerns about the impact of the pandemic on tenants and asked if the leases could be considered in some way.

He said: “There are distinct possibilities that some or even many of the businesses may well go under because of the coronavirus situation.

“The neighbourhood parades have always been an integral part of the well-being of the town and it’s vital that the role that they play is maintained.”

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The members agreed a five-person committee would be set up to explore the use of the parades, the money they bring in and their value to the community.

There was a suggestion that one of its tasks should be to find out what Crawley residents actually want from their local shops.

Despite the entire issue being spearheaded by Bob Lanzer (Con, Pound Hill South & Worth), a last minute bid by Marion Ayling (Lab, Bewbush & North Broadfield) saw her elected chairman.

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