Signal Box steps among projects given cash by local committee

The committee received £30,000 for the fund for the 2013/14 financial year and had already allocated £6,582 before its latest meeting on Thursday (October 10).

The three projects were:

The Crawley Signal Box Preservation Society, which was given £2,813 towards the replacement of the signal box steps.

The allocation was proposed by county Labour Group Leader Brenda Smith.

Cllr Smith (Lab, Langley Green and West Green) said: “Without the really committed people from the Preservation Society, this would have been lost.

“This is part of Crawley’s heritage. Thanks to them we still have this and without them, we wouldn’t have saved it 22 years ago.”

The East Crawley CLC had already given £2,251 to the project.

The CAMEO Club - a group for older residents - was given £556 to go towards a trip to the Old Tyme Music Hall.

The East Crawley CLC had already given £444.

Crawley District Scouts Council applied for £5,000 to go towards the building of wet rooms with disabled access at the Pease Pottage HQ.

Committee chairman Cllr Chris Oxlade (Lab, Bewbush & Ifield West) said: “We’re very keen to support the scouts but £5,000 is a large chunk of money out of our £30,000 for the year.

“The scouts deal with children from all over Crawley so we have decided to ask the East Crawley CLC to give the other half.”

Rosemary Pugh, county council democratic services officer told the meeting: “We will have to ask members of the East Crawley CLC under urgent action because they don’t meet until December.”