Town centre SPD

The Town centre supplementary planning document (SPD) was adopted on 29 June 2026, following public consultation which took place from 8 May 2026 until 5 June 2026.

The Town centre SPD reflects and expands upon the town centre and character policies in the adopted Crawley borough Local Plan 2023 to 2040, providing supporting guidance to assist applicants in meeting the Local Plan requirements.

This includes the policies in relation to:

• context and character
• vitality and viability – ground and upper floor uses
• sequential assessment and impact test
• design guidance for:
  • shopfronts
  • advertisements and signs
  • outdoor seating
  • communications infrastructure
• town centre living

The SPD forms part of the development plan for Crawley and is an important consideration in determining planning applications. It replaces the Town centre SPD 2016.

The SPD is accompanied by a consultation statement and a sustainability appraisal and strategic environmental assessment (SA and SEA) screening report.