Northgate - Let down by the Labour run Borough Council (again)….

12.00.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Tue 31st Jan 2006

Councillors Linda and Gordon Seekings fighting to get improvements to Crawley's Northgate Parade.

Once again Northgate's Lib Dem Councillors, Linda and Gordon Seekings are fighting to get improvements to Crawley's Northgate Parade. As reported extensively locally previously Crawley Borough Council finally put money aside for this at the beginning of 2005 - and gave April 2005 for the start of the design work that will be needed first. Typically of much of the Labour run Council's promises there's nothing actually to show for this.

An e-mail from the Borough Council dated 28 February 2005 to Councillor Gordon Seekings confirmed that "Northgate Parade is 'next' on the list" and that the "inception study" was to start in April. On 2 April Gordon asked what the latest situation was. A reply given on 4 April confirmed it was still programmed for April 2005.

By 9 May Gordon was asking what was happening and a reply to him on 11 May made it clear that nothing was going to happen till at least autumn 2005 due to staff shortages.

Since then both Gordon & Linda Seekings have been pressing for a start date for the work. They have also argued that it's morally wrong to put aside money for the scheme if it's not going to be done. Gordon & Linda are continuing to argue that the money needs to be spent now.

Since Northgate Parade was built Crawley Leisure Centre has been opened (and closed!) and about £37 million spent on the new K2 Leisure Centre - so why couldn't just a fraction of this amount of money have been spent on Northgate's Parade?