Crawley’s former ambulance station site is set to be demolished in the forthcoming weeks to make way for 39 new council homes for local people, helping to ease pressure on the housing list and meet the growing need for affordable accommodation.

Councillor Sharmila Sivarajah, Mayor of Crawley, and Councillor Michael Jones, Leader of Crawley Borough Council, formally attended the site to mark the start of the construction process.

The scheme will provide 37 two-bedroom and two, one-bedroom apartments across six storeys, set alongside ancient woodland. All homes will be available for affordable rent and allocated to qualifying applicants on the council’s housing register.

Following delays caused by water neutrality requirements, this project is now set to become the first major affordable housing scheme to progress to construction. Work is expected to start in early 2026, with completion and occupation anticipated by the end of 2027.

All nominations will be made in line with the council’s housing allocations policy which includes a minimum five-year local connection with Crawley requirement.

The council has partnered with Tkei (Crawley) Ltd, a local SME developer, and Amarta, a local build contractor, under a unique turnkey arrangement. This approach ensures strong risk management and supports local businesses while delivering much-needed homes.

I am delighted to hear that construction will soon start on this site. We need to deliver new council homes for families to provide secure, affordable housing and this will be the first site in some time to do this. We had to overcome some significant challenges to deliver on this site, so it was great to see how it has progressed. This is the first of what will be part of an ambitious programme by Crawley Borough Council, with aspirations to bring forward over 540 council homes in the coming years to meet our acute local affordable housing need, mostly on brownfield locations like at the Ambulance Station.

Councillor Michael Jones

Leader

Crawley Borough Council

The leader of the Conservative Party has called for a sinkhole which opened up in Godstone more than a year ago to be fixed “as soon as possible”.

Kemi Badenoch said the sinkhole was “yet another problem” that residents and local businesses were having to deal with.

Matt Furniss, cabinet member for highways, transport and economic growth at Surrey County Council, said contractors were working “to stabilise the 19th Century underground mine network below the collapse”.

Former MP,  Crispin Blunt has been charged with drug offences.

The 65-year-old ex-justice minister, represented Reigate from 1997 to 2024.

He is accused of one count of possessing a class A drug and three of possessing a class B drug.

The charges were brought after police searches of his home in Horley as part of a separate investigation in 2023.

Blunt is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates Court next Wednesday.

Image Source: Rightmove

A former fire station near to Gatwick Airport which had primarily been used for training, is being sold for the second time after a previous sale fell through.

Horley Gatwick Fire Station on Povey Cross Road was originally declared as surplus to requirements, if whoever bought the site could secure future planning permission.

This wasn’t possible first-time round by the original buyer, so they pulled out of making a purchase.

The new sale still has the same requirements in place.