Over the last fortnight, we saw the opening of the new Bewbush and Langley Green Centres. I was able to attend both openings, the first only in part. These multi-million pound regeneration schemes are the product of many years work from officers, councillors and partner organisations.
Opening both centres in the space of two weeks was an important statement of our commitment to renewal and our confidence in the future. I would not wish to imply that we launch schemes like this every week because that would be disingenuous.
We are also nearing the completion of our neighbourhood parade improvement programme, with Furnace Parade due to complete in 2011. These projects are smaller scale than the regeneration efforts at Bewbush and Langley Green, but they still have budgets of several hundred thousand pounds each.
The Council owns 11 neighbourhood parades but we do not wish to let ownership get in the way of improvements elsewhere in the town. We are in an era that emphasises the importance of new partnership working, and we will be looking at options for improving neighbourhood centres and shopping parades that are not owned by the Council. This will take commitment from a number of other agencies and stakeholders but it is surely right to try.
We retain our commitment to town centre regeneration and a first-rate Manor Royal Business District, alongside our work in the neighbourhoods. The Council has additional capital that it can use to assist new developments, provided that we can deliver continued efficiencies in our day-to-day service spending. That is our firm intention.
It is important to take whatever development opportunities we can while we can. We are in a period of economic recovery and there are people out there keen to invest inCrawley. Our approach should be to welcome this interest and channel it into assisting a progressive vision for our town.
We never know how long a window of economic opportunity will be with us. The last Labour government claimed that it would break the cycle of boom and bust with the national economy. Such wishful thinking should never delude us again. Our economy is linked with those of the rest of the world.
To defeat “boom and bust” would require the continuous, perfect management of most of the industrialised economies. That will not be happening. Politicians, like everyone else, are blessedly imperfect and prone to error. We must make hay while the sun shines.
Councillor Bob Lanzer, Leader of Crawley Borough Council
14th December 2010