Agenda

Delegated planning decisions for the week beginning 27 February 2023 are attached.  Contact for enquiries: Jean McPherson, Group Manager (Development Management) on jean.mcpherson@crawley.gov.uk.

The following documents are attached in relation to Temporary Traffic Regulation Orders:

·       List of Temporary Traffic Regulation Orders.

·       College Road, Three Bridges (Appendix A).

·       Monksfield, Three Bridges (Appendix B).

·       Martyrs Avenue, Langley Green (Appendix C).

On 1 March 2023 Councillor S Mullins, as Cabinet Member for Public Protection and Community Engagement, exercised delegated authority to approve the determination of ‘main grant’ applications. The funding is part of the grants budget. Main grants (provisional awards) are subject to appeal and final decision by the Grants Appeals Panel. All grants have been assessed against the new outcomes framework document.

Details of awards are attached.

Manor Royal BID placed a request to contract the Council's Neighbourhood Services team, for a term of 5 years, to do additional grounds maintenance work in addition to existing ‘Base Line’ services e.g. Grass Cutting, Litter Picking, and general cleaning and upkeep of the public domain.  Following that request, on 3 March 2023 the Deputy Chief Executive agreed to provide additional enhanced maintenance, entering into the contracted agreements as required.

For information, the Council already provides this service, and has done so for approaching 5 years now since the previous BID term.  These additional services are fully funded by the Manor Royal BID and will continue to be so.

Crawley Borough Council signed a Heads of Terms on 24th March 2021 with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (now the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, DLUHC) that the Government would provide Crawley with up to a total of £21.1 million from the Towns Fund, subject to submission of robust project business cases.

Following the Full Council approval of Crawley Towns Fund Project Business Cases on 30 March 2022, the Manor Royal Business Environment Improvement project was endorsed by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.

The overall objective of this project is to deliver a programme of Business Environment upgrades and modernisation in Manor Royal Business District which include: a network of new and connected “Micro-Parks” to improve the public realm, visual amenity and outdoor facilities and open space accessible to all within a comfortable (5 minute) walk regardless of where they work in the Business District, and in the immediate vicinity of transformed bus waiting area “super hub” investments, in addition to upgrading visually weak points of entry to the Business District.

The amount of funding allocated to this project, as approved by Full Council is: £1.5 million.

A legal agreement with MRBD (Manor Royal Bid Company Ltd) sets out the delivery of this work, in accordance with the project business case and guidance from DLUHC.

On 6 March 2022, the Head of Economy and Planning under generic delegation 3, took the decision to approve the Council signing of the Grant Funding Agreement DLUHC Funded Project: Manor Royal Business Environment Improvement Programme (4B Micro Parks) between Crawley Borough Council and MRBD (Manor Royal Bid Company Ltd. This allows the Manor Royal BID, now successfully returned for another 5 years by BID levy payers, to progress delivery of the project.

In accordance with the Full Council resolution made in April 2019 and as contained in the Head of Economy and Planning’s Sub-Delegation Scheme (specifically 7w: "that all other decisions and actions during the DCO application process, including the examination is delegated to the Head of Economy and Planning.") the Head of Economy and Planning holds authority to appoint specialist consultants above the normal contract delegations including AECOM to provide advice on the impacts, particularly Noise, Air Quality, Carbon and socio-economics of the proposed Gatwick Airport Northern Runway Development Consent Order.

Therefore, on 27 February 2023 the Head of Economy and Planning agreed to the appointment of AECOM consultants to undertake a range of impact assessments regarding Gatwick Airport Ltd's Northern Runway and DCO proposals - these assessments will focus on the topics listed above.

Consideration report HCS/056 is attached.

Staff changes for February 2023 are attached for Councillors only.

Press releases are available at www.crawley.gov.uk/news