Now and again, the Council comes up against some particularly difficult issues. One such matter is the provision of a new cemetery. From media coverage, it is no secret that with our existing provision we are running out of space, particularly for certain religious denominations.
A number of sites were considered and gradually narrowed down, leading to an ultimately abortive proposal for a new cemetery in West Green. There was also understandably some strength of opinion that a new cemetery should be within the Crawley Borough boundary. Last week, we had some good news on this point in that we have identified a potential site at Council-owned land at Little Trees next to the A264 Crawley South West By-Pass.
This land is at the Guides’ campsite and we are in discussion with them about how to accommodate their needs. Possibilities include the use of a Tilgate Forest Recreation Hut as a new base together with more Council-owned land next to a Scouts’ campsite in Faygate. Much work, including site surveys, remains to be done but there could be a 50-year capacity at the proposed new cemetery site.
Land supply is so often a challenge in Crawley and we must work with neighbouring local authorities to meet our housing needs going forward. This is one of the most difficult issues facing the town – how to provide an adequate and varied housing supply to support the needs of a growing population.
There are limits to what we can do within the Borough boundary without compromising our provision of amenity and recreational space. This probably means building on new strategic sites outside of our boundary in addition to the major developments at Forge Wood, Crawley’s newest neighbourhood, and Kilnwood Vale, west of Bewbush. Even with these two large housing schemes, we are still meeting less than half of our demographic needs up to the year 2030.
Historically the same arguments tend to repeat themselves. Everybody sees the need tor people to have somewhere to live but there is not a lot of enthusiasm for new development close to existing settled communities. It was the same when Crawley New Town came about as a trawl of old newspapers will show. Ultimately though, there will be new housing development to meet the most fundamental of needs. That is the unavoidable decision which precedes the much more complex deliberations about where this new housing will go.
Councillor Bob Lanzer
Cabinet Member for Planning and Economic Development, Crawley Borough Council
28th April 2014