Tilgate office block to be converted into flats

The council issued what is known as an Article 4 Direction for the Tilgate Forest Business Centre in an attempt to preserve the site for employment – but this won’t kick in until February 2021.

Now Hillview (Crawley) Ltd has submitted a Prior Approval notice for one of the office blocks – Atrium Court.

Such a notice is covered under permitted development rights and means the developer does not have to apply for full planning permission unless the council can raise a valid concern.

Peter Smith, cabinet member for planning, has made no secret of the fact that he doesn’t think permitted development rights are suitable in Crawley, where lack of space is an issue.

Describing the situation as ‘unfortunate’, he said: “There isn’t anything we can sensibly do to stop it.”

Mr Smith added: “We’ve got a shortage of employment land the same as we’ve got a shortage of homes.

“If we put dense housing on the employment land, which is what permitted development tends to do, not only are you losing employment space but you are getting a high number of people looking for jobs.

“It’s a double whammy.

“It does make sense in some places but very little of them make sense in Crawley.”

In its submission to the council, Hillview (Crawley) Ltd said the office would be converted into 48 one-bedroom and eight two-bedroom flats and there were no plans to make any external alterations to the building.

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