Northgate Parade - Action at last!

2.39.35pm UTC (GMT +0000) Tue 23rd May 2006

Northgate Parade, Crawley - site meeting held today to discuss improvements

Northgate Lib Dem Councillors Gordon & Linda Seekings today had a site meeting with the Officer of Crawley Borough Council who will have the responsibility for the much needed improvements to Northgate Parade.

The flats above Northgate Parade - missing and broken safety railings

Gordon & Linda Seekings were able to show where work was urgently required. This included priority work needed on the safety railings for the flats above the shops. In some cases the safety railings are completely missing and in other cases are just held together with string.

Poor layout of the parking bays - cars double parked whilst there are also spare parking bays

Poor layout of the parking bays was identified as another major problem. Cars are double parked outside of the parking bays whilst at the same time there were parking spaces available elsewhere in the car park.

Rubbish clearance needed and repairs required to the storage sheds

In some parts of the Parade it is clear that rubbish clearance has been non-existent for years. In some cases it is not clear who is responsible for the rubbish clearance - the flat/shop residents or the Borough Council. What is clear though is that action is needed quickly if the area is not to deteriorate further.

The next stage in the refurbishment process is for the Borough Council to come up with a specification of the improvements needed. Once these have been agreed then a feasibility study can be completed and the cost calculated. This will then lead to a contract (or contracts) being placed for the work to be done.

Although it is anticipated that it will not be till the autumn till work can be started Gordon & Linda Seekings have made it clear that the work on the safety barriers cannot wait and must be done immediately.