The Labour Government is taking a wrecking ball to local government. When it’s all put back together again, the one thing I sadly predict is higher council tax for Crawley, as the costs for the disruption and setting up new councils has to be paid for locally. This is in addition to the estimated £30 million annually the government will be removing from West Sussex, under their plans to divert funding to Labour heartlands up north.
Another council tax whammy is coming our way. In trying to maintain a power base to promote themselves, Crawley Labour want to create an additional tier of local government, a ‘Crawley town council’. It wouldn’t really do very much but is being promoted as a ‘local voice’.
This additional council will have precepting powers and unlike other tiers of local government, would have no legal requirement to limit annual council tax rises to 5%. Elsewhere, the precept charged by some town/parish councils is similar to the district/borough council. Crawley Borough Council’s current annual charge for Band C is £212.48. This will become part of the new unitary council’s charge, but an additional £200 a year in council tax to fund a Crawley town council could be levied in future years.
The Council leaflet for the consultation claims Crawley will have no local representation or any local voice without a town council. This is disingenuous nonsense. Crawley will have councillors elected to the new unitary council to be Crawley’s voice. However, last Friday’s Full Council meeting at West Sussex County Council suggests Labour don’t take representing Crawley very seriously. From midway in the afternoon session, only one out of the entire Labour Group of eight members remained for the meeting.
A public consultation has started and whatever your view, I encourage residents to respond. Our local Conservative position is we believe there should be a referendum of Crawley residents before any new town council comes into being. We proposed this at the Full Council meeting back in July, but Labour voted it down. T hey claim to represent Crawley, but why won’t they trust Crawley’s people?
Councillor Duncan Crow, Leader of Crawley Borough Council Conservative Group
22nd October 2025
