A town council for Crawley?

We are asking for your views on how you would like Crawley to be managed in the future. Have your say on whether a town council for Crawley (or any form of parish or parishes) should be created to represent the residents of Crawley.

This consultation is a Community Governance Review (CGR). You can find out more about how CGR works on our dedicated webpage.     

Local government in West Sussex is being reorganised, and Crawley Borough Council will be replaced by a new unitary council in 2028 that will operate across a much wider area. This could be across Crawley, Horsham and Mid-Sussex, or even across the whole of West Sussex.

Since 1956, Crawley has had a council that works solely for the benefit of the town and its residents. This meant our communities have had a voice dedicated to them, and services and facilities that are tailored as much as possible to their needs. With a new unitary council, decisions will need to be made to reflect the wider area it serves. Crawley will no longer have its own voice, representation or ability to shape future services or facilities.

To retain a dedicated voice for Crawley, and some local decisions on services and facilities, a new town council could be established.

Please take the time to tell us what you think, your opinion is important and will shape our proposals.

We welcome responses from those who live or work in Crawley, or who have any other interest in the town.

You will need to provide your postcode to enable us to map responses, but a name and address will not be required.

You have until 1 December to take part.

Paper copies of the survey are available from 20 October at:

A town council would ensure localised democracy, giving residents in the borough more say in how some facilities are run. It could also represent the interests of Crawley and its residents to other organisations.

Town councillors that would represent residents would be elected only by residents that live in Crawley and could drive improvements.

The town council would be able to make decisions on some local matters and could take over the ownership and running of certain services and facilities in Crawley. These could include allotments, play areas, free, live entertainment and events, cemeteries, local grants, community centres and maybe even larger facilities such as parks, neighbourhood parades, K2 Crawley and The Hawth.

A new ‘precept’ charge would be introduced within residents’ Council Tax bills. The exact figure for the town council precept will depend on which services are transferred to the town council and what income they can obtain from them.  The precept would be kept to a minimum. 

The number of town councillors to be elected to the town council and how they can represent residents, will be shaped by your feedback through our consultations.

After 2028, all services will be run by the new unitary council.

All decisions that affect the borough would be made by this wider unitary authority meaning Crawley would no longer have its own dedicated voice.

Crawley would be at a disadvantage compared to neighbouring areas that already have a parish or town council in place to represent them.