Crawley councillors agree to make submission to set out the case for a new unitary authority with Reigate & Banstead Borough Council

The decision was made by members of the cabinet following a meeting of the full council on Wednesday evening (May 7).

It will be down to the government to decide whether to go ahead with the suggestion. But, in the meantime, Crawley will continue to work with other councils on a West Sussex proposal.

Councillors were split along party lines about whether the Reigate & Banstead submission would be best for the borough and the people of Crawley.

While leader Michael Jones (Labour) spoke about the ‘strong economic and strategic planning argument’ for the two boroughs to join, Conservative leader Duncan Crow said it would lead to poorer services and higher council tax.

You can watch Duncan Crow’s video interview here.

Mr Jones made a point of addressing ‘misconceptions’ that have been circulating on social media, not least from Mr Crow, which he called ‘unhelpful’ given the complexity of the process.

He added: “Anything or anyone that claims we are going in with London or becoming a London borough is completely untrue. The new council created will also have nothing to do with ULEZ. Everyone’s postal and geographical address will remain in Sussex.”

Laying out his reasons for the two boroughs to join, he said: “It makes no sense that on the brink of Gatwick expansion, we put a hard boundary across what is one of the biggest economic areas in the region. It also makes no sense for the public services, transport and infrastructure we will need.”

Calling the submission a ‘once in a generation if not once in a lifetime opportunity’, he added: “It is clear that having two directly elected mayors dividing this economic functioning area would be detrimental to the future economic prospects of this town, and it would impact on growth.”

Mr Crow called the submission ‘a desperate and cynical attempt to try to bounce Crawley into Surrey via the back door’.

He pointed out that it didn’t meet the government’s criteria – unitary authorities will need to have populations of 500,000, whereas the two boroughs would total around 275,000 – and claimed that evidence to argue that the new authority should be allowed was being ‘created to try to sell a pre-determined preference’.

That idea was countered by Chief Executive Officer Ian Duke, who said the council has yet to make a decision as to which option it prefers.

The submission decision had to be made by Friday (May 9), as that is the deadline set for Surrey councils by the government. The West Sussex deadline September 26.

Mr Crow raised concerns that this could see the Reigate & Bandstead option considered and decided in the summer, removing Crawley from the West Sussex option.

He said: “Is it really worth taking that risk under the pretence of ‘let’s keep all options open’? I don’t think so.”

A report to the meeting said the final decision on the Surrey option would be made by the Secretary of State between September and December.

The council will have three chances to state its preference before then – at a meeting of full council in July, during a special meeting in September where members will consider which of the West Sussex options they wish to support; and during a government consultation, which will include the public.