Re-name as council's housing blueprint is delayed a year

The council’s Local Plan, which is a blueprint for housing development and travellers sites over the next 15 years, is now called Crawley 2030 after being known as Crawley 2029.

A council spokesman said: “The Local Plan lasts for 15 years. It was expected to be adopted in late 2014 but due to the complexity of some planning issues this will now not happen until April 2015.

“There is no financial cost to the council for this short delay.

“It’s vital that Crawley has a sound Local Plan so this short delay for a plan which runs for 15 years is not significant. Residents have been consulted at every stage and will continue to be.”

The Labour opposition, though, felt the change showed there was ‘chaos’ at the Town Hall.

Leader of the Labour group Cllr Peter Lamb (Lab, Northgate) said: “When residents were concerned over parts of the Local Plan earlier this year we asked for the consultation period to be extended so everyone could have their say.

“At the time we were told the risks to the town in delaying the plan were too great. The fact the timetable has now slipped is yet further evidence of the Conservatives’ chaos at the Town Hall.”