A man from Kent has been jailed for distributing harmful drugs in Crawley.

31-year-old Omar Shackleton, was suspected of running Class A drugs as part of the ‘JJ’ County Drug Line.

Shackleton plead guilty, possession with intent to supply Class A drugs, possession of criminal property and possession of an offensive weapon.

He was sentenced to over three years in prison.

Building progress of the new Supported Independent Living accommodation in Horley was recently marked by Surrey County Council.

Homes for 16 residents are being constructed on the edge of the town centre.

The purpose-built housing for working-age adults with additional needs, will enable them to live independently in their community rather than in a residential care home.

Surrey residents with eligible care needs, will be considered for tenancies.

All five Crawley parks have retained their Green Flag Awards, with Tilgate Park achieving the status for an incredible 22 consecutive years.

Tilgate Park, Goffs Park, Memorial Gardens, Worth Park and Ifield Mill Pond all kept their Green Flag Awards for 2024.

The Green Flag Award is the international quality mark for parks and green spaces and is testament to the hard work and dedication of the teams that make the green spaces places that everyone can enjoy.

For Tilgate Park, this is the 22nd consecutive year it has received the award. Set in 400 acres, its natural landscape boasts Tilgate Nature Centre alongside ancient woodland, lakes, gardens and lawns, the Lakeside Café, Tilgate Forest Golf Centre, the Walled Garden Café, Go Ape treetop adventures and a segway trail, lake activities with Tilgate Park Watersports Centre and the Smith & Western restaurant.

Goffs Park has now been awarded the Green Flag 16 times. The popular park features a lake, miniature railway and great play facilities.

For Memorial Gardens, this is also its 16th Green Flag. Situated in the heart of the town centre, the gardens are the perfect place for shoppers and workers to relax and enjoy the colourful surroundings.

This is the sixth consecutive year that Worth Park has been awarded a Green Flag with the historic park’s formal gardens, a stunning fountain, stone balustrading, a listed rockery, a wooded lake, a meadow, croquet lawns and a tennis court impressing the judges.

Worth Park has also again received a Green Heritage Site Accreditation, supported by Historic England, for the management of its historic features.

Ifield Mill Pond has received the Green Flag award for the fifth year running. Considered the most important wetland site in the town and designated a Site of Nature Conservation Importance, the beautiful area features Bewbush Water Gardens, an area of semi-formal ponds and natural planting.

These awards reflect the hard work and dedication of our staff who maintain our parks and make them look their best. We are fortunate to have such beautiful parks and green spaces. I’m particularly delighted that Tilgate Park has made it 22 Green Flags in a row – an incredible achievement.
Councillor Chris Mullins. Cabinet member for Leisure and Wellbeing. Crawley Borough Council.

I would like to congratulate everyone involved at Crawley Borough Council in achieving these Green Flag Awards. “These are vital green spaces for communities in Crawley to socialise, enjoy nature, for children to play safely and it provides important opportunities for park users to improve their physical and mental health. We know that staff and volunteers work tirelessly to ensure that they maintain the high standards of the Green Flag Award, everyone involved should feel extremely proud of their achievement. It is important that our free to use spaces are maintained to the Green Flag Award standard, making them accessible for all members of the community while ensuring the environment is protected.
Paul Todd MBE. Green Flag Award Scheme Manager. Keep Britain Tidy.

The Green Flag Award scheme, managed by environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy under licence from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, recognises and rewards well-managed parks and green spaces, setting the benchmark standard for the management of green spaces across the United Kingdom and around the world.

For more information about parks in Crawley visit our gardens and parks pagesOpens in new window.

A conservation trust is urging groups to take up their offer of planting tree saplings.

In March of this year the Woodland Trust sent just over 9000 saplings across Surrey and nearly 14000 in Sussex, as part of the 366,000 across the whole of the UK.

Steve Shill from the trust said trees help nature, combat flooding, provide shelter and reduce pollution.

Schoolchildren, community groups and sports clubs are all invited to plant the saplings which helps people learn about the environment and do their bit.

Any groups interested can find out more and order their trees by clicking on this link here. 

Plans for 144 new houses which are scheduled to be built near Dorking are about to go on display.

An area of land beside Westcott Road was acquired by the building firm Taylor Wimpey, who now wish to hear the views of local residents.

Outline planning permission for the homes was granted in November 2023 with full permission now being sought.

A spokesman for the firm said: “We would encourage all of those who live locally and are interested in our proposals to view them online.”

You can find a link to the proposals by clicking on this link here.