It may seem a bit early to look forward to the summer but this week we have learnt that the Royal Horticultural Society has again decided that Crawley will be a finalist in the 2014 Britain in Bloom competition which will be judged sometime between 28th July and 8th August.
Crawley will represent the South East in the Large Town / Small City category, a category which the town won in 2010 when Crawley also took home a Britain in Bloom Silver Gilt award. It is also the possible that in 2014 Crawley will win its sixth consecutive gold at the South and South East in Bloom.
I share the view of my colleague Councillor Duncan Crow, the Cabinet member for Leisure and Culture, that to achieve and maintain this level year on year is an outstanding reflection of the work of the Council’s Amenity Services Department. Our amenity staff keep the town looking great all year round, which is enhanced through the efforts and work of community groups through the “Let’s FACE it” initiative. There is considerable pride in the town not only for the achievements in these awards but also for the considerable dedications of our local volunteers who help maintain the towns overall appearance. I was in Ifield West last weekend and was delighted by the high standard of ground maintenance and front gardens which is a credit to the householders especially at this time of the year.
Last Saturday residents of Broadfield had an opportunity to examine plans for the improvements due to be made at the Broadfield Barton funded by the Council and local businesses. These improvements including better CCTV, installation of new paving, a new canopy and improved parking and are set to start this summer and be completed in the autumn.
The work has been made possible by £85,000 of funding from local businesses, £60,000 from stakeholders and £300,000 from Crawley Council. For those who could not make the Saturday event there will be a display at the Broadfield Neighbourhood Hub at Broadfield Library after 18 January.
The project has been led by Councillor Nigel Boxall, Cabinet member for Community Engagement with the support of local councillors including Cllr Alan Quirk. These improvements will make the Barton a better and safer place to shop as well as much easier to park for everyone. For more information email Catherine Falvey, Project Manager, at catherine.falvey@crawley.gov.uk or call her on 01293 438506.