West Sussex County Council Leader, Henry Smith, has praised a Crawley initiative, which helps people to travel to work in a more sustainable way after it scooped a prestigious award.

The easitNETWORK recently won an award at the City of London’s Sustainable City Awards, which are dubbed the ‘Green Oscars’, for its work in Crawley and East Surrey.

The initiative scooped the Sustainable Travel and Transport award, which is judged by a panel of environmental experts.

easitCRAWLEY is funded by West Sussex County Council, Crawley Borough Council and the South East of England Development Agency.

The project focuses on the Manor Royal Industrial Estate and aims to change the way people travel to work by offering incentives such as a car sharing scheme and discounts on public transport and at bicycle retailers.

The scheme has also introduced a lunchtime shopper bus so that employees can do their shopping without having to use their own cars.

Henry said: “Manor Royal is a thriving area with thousands of people commuting to work everyday. It makes sense to target areas such as this in order to cut down on congestion, which not only makes people’s journeys easier but also helps the environment at the same time.”

easitCRAWLEY is also being hailed as an example of good work by the Department for Transport.

The council has been awarded a grant to help ease homelessness after impressing The Department of Communities and Local Government with excellent progress over the last five years.

The Department (CLG) awarded £20,000 to Crawley Borough Council last week to enable it to continue its excellent work next year.

Since 2005 the council has been working towards halving the numbers of homeless households living in temporary accommodation, a target set to all local authorities by government.

The council’s various initiatives, like the rent deposit scheme and working closely with local charities and agencies, meant the target of 247 households was met in March 2008.

Cabinet member for Housing, Councillor Jennifer Millar-Smith, said: “It’s great; the extra funding means we can develop initiatives that weren’t otherwise in our reach due to money and will enable us to prevent even more people from becoming homeless.

“The Housing Options Team has worked incredibly hard over the years and it’s all paid off. With the help of agencies like Shelter, Sussex Probation Services, Connexions and Social Services, the team has prevented literally hundreds of people from becoming homeless by dealing with an issue in the early stages.”

Crawley Council’s Housing Options Team continue to tackle the problem and at the end of February this year there were 145 households in temporary accommodation, far exceeding Crawley’s target set by government.

CRAWLEY Borough Council is Britain’s sixth best council to work for.

The council received the ‘Best Companies Accreditation’ last week which focussed on the whole public sector – this put Crawley Council 40th out of more than 200 shortlisted entries.

The award, sponsored by The Times, acknowledges excellence in the workplace and sets a benchmark for other employers.

Cabinet member for Continuous Improvement and Development, Councillor Richard Burrett, said: “This award shows the council’s commitment to our employees who do a fantastic job in providing many top quality services to Crawley people.

“I’m really pleased the hard work that’s gone into making Crawley Borough Council a successful and enjoyable place to work has been acknowledged.”

The competition is the largest workplace survey undertaken across the public sector with opinions of more than 45,000 staff collected.

Nearly 500 Crawley Council staff were asked to fill in the survey which provided the council with useful feedback.

Featured in the Sunday Times’ supplement, Crawley Council were also runners up in two special awards: ‘Giving Something Back’ – for an organisation that best combines charitable giving, with encouragement for staff activity and involvement; and ‘Wellbeing’ – for an organisation which provides the most supportive working environment, with an emphasis on relieving stress and improving the work/life balance.

TOWN flats are set to be insulated meaning savings for residents and the environment.

The news follows a successful bid from Crawley Borough Council to the Homes and Communities Agency for £450,000 through their Social Housing Energy Saving Programme.

The grant will help to pay for loft and cavity wall insulation in flats of two storeys (or three floors including the ground) and above; there are currently 158 council owned blocks like this and the council plans to insulate as many as possible.

Portfolio holder for Housing, Jennifer Millar-Smith, said: “It’s fantastic news and yet again proves our commitment to our tenants and leaseholders, and the environment.

“This programme of work is the cherry on the cake after Decent Homes, again exceeding government expectations; many of our tenants will have already received significant home improvements like new kitchens and bathrooms, so this is another step toward ensuring good quality homes they can be proud of.”

It’s hoped the insulation will cut a household’s bills by up to £120 per year and also reduce CO2 emissions by 800kg annually (per home), reflecting the council’s commitment to reduce carbon emissions by 10 per cent in 2010 as part of the national 10:10 campaign.

Some blocks will already have some level of insulation so the council will initially insulate those that don’t.

A contractor will be appointed in April/May following a tendering process and surveyors will start visiting blocks in June/July. Work is set to be complete by the end of March 2011 and will take around one week per block, depending on the size of the buildings.

Leaseholders will also benefit from the grant as although they will be asked to contribute to the cost of the work it will be heavily subsidised.

HELP bring play back to basics by donating tools and materials to give generations the chance to create traditional outdoor toys and dens at a special 1950s playday.

Crawley Borough Council is set to hold its very first ‘back to basics’ playday inspired by a 1955 report into the first ever adventure playground in the town.

The council hopes to bring together children, parents and grandparents – the whole family – to work together in a ‘scrapheap challenge’ style event, creating go karts and dens to help youngsters and their families enjoy the fun of adventure, exploration and creativity that’s not so easy to find today.

The playday is set to take place on Northgate playing fields in May and to help as many people as possible join in the fun, the council needs local residents and businesses to donate tools, pram/bicycle wheels, material and wooden crates to name a few (see the list below).

Toby Shaw, Crawley Borough Council Community Development Officer, said: “We really want generations to work together with older people passing on their experience and knowledge of outdoor play and adventure to younger ones.”

The first adventure playground was set up in West Green in 1954 and regularly saw up to a hundred children building huts, dug-outs and bonfires using materials and tools donated by local businesses.

A document called ‘Crawley Adventure Playground’ published in 1955 by The Crawley Community Association Adventure Playground Committee, tells the story of the playground and its grand opening, including pictures and extracts from the Play Leader’s diary.

If you can donate anything from the list below please contact Toby Shaw on 01293 438655 or email him at toby.shaw@crawley.gov.uk

To see the document and all the photos log onto the council’s home page www.crawley.gov.uk

Back to basics playday materials and tools needed:

• Hammers
• Screwdrivers
• Screws, bolts and nails
• Pram or child’s bicycle wheels
• Wooden crates
• Old tyres
• Wood
• Strong material like canvas / tarpaulin
• Rope
• Small metal poles for axles

FOUR council homes are set for an extreme eco-makeover after Crawley Borough Council won a near half million pounds.

The properties in Furnace Green, Langley Green, Pound Hill and Three Bridges will be fitted out with innovative materials rarely used in regular house building to create the ultimate environmentally friendly home.

Awarded in January, Crawley Council won the money through the national Retrofit for the Future competition run by the Technology Strategy Board.

Only 86 properties across the UK will receive a green makeover, making Crawley Council’s bid for four properties a big success.

Councillor Jennifer Millar-Smith, portfolio holder for Housing, said: “This is a really exciting project and officers in Crawley Homes did extremely well to secure this money.

“It’s ultimately a big experiment to see what materials could be used in social housing that will help the UK meet future C02 reduction targets.

“The overall outcome of this project will be extremely interesting and could help lead to a greener future for Crawley residents and the rest of the UK.”

Work on the properties will start in the next six months and will include a range of insulation like Spacetherm insulation, Nanogel insulation and under-floor insulation. The work will also include LED lighting, solar panels, combined heat and power boilers and triple glazing.

The modifications will be carried out by Crawley Council’s Decent Homes contractors, Apollo and Wates, and are set to take about three months.

Monitoring energy use and temperatures in the homes after completion will be carried out by the council and includes a range of different occupancies.

The green homes are expected to save the tenants hundreds of pounds (reducing annual combined gas and electricity bills of £800 to around £100, for example) – as well as tonnes of carbon emissions.

The move towards seriously eco-friendly social housing will take Britain a step closer to its target of an 80 per cent reduction in household energy use by 2050.

THE FIRST new-build council homes in more than a decade are set to get underway within the next couple of months.

The news comes following Crawley Borough Council’s successful bid to the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) for funding through Social Housing Grant.

The HCA granted the council Investor Partner Status last week followed by an award of £976,000 to build 16 council properties in Rushetts Place, Langley Green – this makes Crawley Council the first ever local authority to be granted money from a pot usually reserved for housing associations.

Councillor Jennifer Millar-Smith, portfolio holder for Housing said: “It’s brilliant news; the council has recently prioritised its goal to increase housing supply in the town and this is a great starting block for us to help push that forward ourselves.”

Recent Housing Revenue changes made it possible for councils to build on the same terms as registered social landlords and the investor partner status meant the council could directly apply for a Social Housing Grant.

The next step is to get building; the site, currently unused and previously used as a temporary car park during regeneration work at Langley Green Parade, already has full planning consent for 16 affordable flats made up of eight one-bed and eight two-bed units.

The new units will be built to code four eco-standards which are the highest eco-standards yet to be achieved in Crawley.

The green features will include solar panels which will directly benefit future tenants by providing a renewable energy source; the homes will also be built to ‘lifetime homes’ standards, accommodating the diverse needs of users over time.

Moat Homes Ltd has been appointed as the development agent as one of the council’s preferred RSL partners, and has worked closely with the council to secure the grant and its new partnership status with the HCA.

THE steps being taken in West Sussex to tackle crime and disorder will be the headline issue at the next meeting of the County Council’s Community Services Select Committee.

Committee members will hear about the work of the West Sussex Strategic Community Safety Partnership (WSSCSP) and its role in bringing together organisations responsible for reducing crime and disorder in West Sussex, and making residents and visitors feel safer.

There will be a particular focus on the work being delivered to reduce the fear of crime and anti-social behaviour and how elected members can support the partnership to develop this work further within local communities.

The Home Office believes there is a need for communities to be better informed about what is being done to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour in their neighbourhoods.

This also involves ensuring people can make known to the police and local authorities their views on crime and anti-social behaviour in their area.

The WSSCP comprises:

• West Sussex County Council, including its Fire and Rescue Service.
• Sussex Police.
• Sussex Police Authority.
• Sussex Probation.
• NHS West Sussex.
• The county’s District and Borough Councils.

The Select Committee is meeting at County Hall, Chichester, starting at 10am. The meeting is open to the public.

YOUNG volunteers from Outset Youth Action Crawley spent a day clearing rhododendron bushes from Tilgate Park to make way for natural heathland to re-grow.

The day was organised by Gatwick Greenspace, which aims to protect the environment and wildlife in Crawley, Horley and Horsham.

The young volunteers also learnt how to fell trees safely and were shown an area where heather had grown following the clearance of rhododendrons.

Pete Crawford, of Gatwick Greenspace, said: “It was a pleasure having a group of young people taking an interest in their environment.

“The feedback from the volunteers was very positive and they obviously enjoyed working with others. One young person said that learning these new skills was very important for him as he hoped to take up a career in conservation.”

Henry Smith, Leader of West Sussex County Council, said: “The young volunteers who took part in the activity day at Tilgate Park accurately reflected the aims of Outset Youth Action, which acts as a countywide volunteering agency for young people.

“It supports and encourages young people to make a personal commitment to volunteering. At Tilgate, they made a valuable contribution to their environment, while at the same time enjoying a fun day and making new friends.”

Outset Youth Action is now looking to make similar Action Days a regular feature on its programme during school holidays, linking with the Gatwick Greenspace Volunteer Task Programme.

STUDENTS in West Sussex are seeking arty honours by creating sculptures that will be a load of rubbish.

They are taking part in the annual Sculpture Challenge staged by Better Tomorrows, the not-for-profit community interest company that is spearheading a range of initiatives to encourage sustainable living in West Sussex.

The students – who attend Central Sussex, Northbrook and Worthing colleges – are reflecting the company’s aims by making sculptures out of reused or recycled material.

The works will be judged in May and the winning entry will be displayed for up to six months in the Cass Sculpture Foundation in Goodwood.

Last year’s winner was Stuart Slade, 35, from Northbrook College, Worthing, who said: “The whole experience of taking part in the competition was very rewarding.

“For me, having a piece of work displayed at the Cass Foundation was a great achievement. The exposure the competition gave me and the siting of the sculpture was a very positive thing.”

John de Mierre, Chairman of Better Tomorrows, said: “We are achieving two aims with this competition.

“First, we are highlighting the importance of recycling, just how easy it is to recycle and the wide range of material that can be re-used or recycled, rather than being sent to landfill.

“Second, it is encouraging young artists in West Sussex and offers them the opportunity to gain a first class shop window for their artistic achievement.”

PEOPLE in West Sussex are being urged to drop suspect scam mail – such as letters claiming they have won a foreign lottery – into their local Library.

West Sussex County Council Trading Standards Service and the County Council Library Service have teamed up to back Scamnesty 2010 – a nationwide Office of Fair Trading (OFT) drive against mass marketed scam mailings in the UK.

Peter Evans, County Council Cabinet Member for Public Protection, said: “Nearly half of the UK adult population has been targeted by a scam. Every year, 3.2 million adults – one in 15 people – across the country fall victim to a scam involving deceptive unsolicited mailings, phone calls, or emails that are designed to con victims out of their cash. Each year, people lose £3.5 billion to scams.

“There’s no doubt these figures are reflected in West Sussex. However, our Trading Standards and Library Services are giving the residents the chance to fight back against the fraudsters by collecting any scam mailings they receive and taking them to their local Library. Library staff will pass all scam mail to our Trading Standards Officers.

“The results will provide valuable new intelligence to the OFT and West Sussex Trading Standards. It will help inform future investigations and help prevent others from being scammed.”

Last year a similar campaign revealed that the top five mass-marketed scam mailings in the UK at that time were:

1) Deceptive sweepstakes.

2) Misleading prize draws.

3) Fake clairvoyants/psychics.

4) Bogus foreign lotteries.

5) ‘Miracle’ health cures.

If you think you have been the victim of a scam, or you suspect a scam, call Consumer Direct for clear, practical advice on 08454 040506 or visit www.consumerdirect.gov.uk/scamnesty

Consumers can report all types of scams at https://secure.consumerdirect.gov.uk/reportascam.aspx on the Consumer Direct website.

During Scamnesty 2010, they can also report online scams to the ‘virtual bin’ on the Consumer Direct website.

A TAKEAWAY pizza study by West Sussex County Council Trading Standards Service showed a significant number of the fast food favourites had higher than the recommended daily fat and salt levels. The highest levels were found at independent takeaways.

The Service studied 12-inch margherita and pepperoni pizzas from 10 takeaways, six of them from UK-wide chains, four of them independent traders.

Alison Gill, the Trading Standards Officer who led the probe, said: “The aim was to establish their sugar, salt, fat and saturated fat content of the pizzas and measure this against the Women’s Guideline Daily Amount (GDA).

“We also tested to make sure no analogue cheese, an industrial made produce, had been substituted.”

None of the pizzas had this type of substitute cheese and the sugar content was low in all of them.

“However, the fat, saturated fat and salt content varied from within the GDA recommended levels to significantly above. The maximum recommended levels are: 70 grams for fat, 20 grams for saturated fat and six grams for salt,” said Alison.

“The highest levels of fat, saturated fat and salt were found in the independents.

“One pepperoni pizza from a local independent was found to have 130 grams of fat, 58 grams of saturated fat and 19 grams of salt. That’s almost double the woman’s daily recommended intake for fat and saturated fat and more than triple the intake for salt.

“By using the Food Standards Agency (FSA) traffic light system adopted by some manufacturers and supermarkets, you can see how healthy a food is.

“Red means high in fats, salt and sugar, amber means the food has moderate levels and green signifies low levels and is a healthier option.

“There is no traffic light scheme for food from takeaways yet. However, the big chains are working towards it, responding to the changes promoted by the FSA.

“We would advise consumers to ask takeaway chains about the product and its nutritional content. You can ask for healthy options, such as reduced fat cheese or low salt. Both restaurants and takeaways will respond to customer demands.”

The independents, said Alison, do not have the resources of the chains.

“However, they may be quicker to respond to consumer demand. We would encourage consumers to lead the way by asking for their pizza to be adapted: for example, extra vegetables and less pepperoni, which is a meat product that is high in salt.

“Businesses will soon respond to market needs if they know there is a demand for healthy options.”

Peter Evans, County Council Cabinet Member for Public Protection, said: “Our message is don’t stop tucking into your favourite pizza, but do be aware of the toppings.

“Remember: what you eat can have a huge impact on how you feel and by eating a healthy balanced diet you can improve your chances of avoiding disease in the long term.

“By carrying out this investigation, our Trading Standards team has highlighted how people can make an informed choice. They have advised the takeaways about the results and are monitoring their response.”

A WIDE range of tips to help eco-conscious couples save money and have a green wedding or civil ceremony are contained in the latest issue of Ceremonies in West Sussex.

The free glossy fact-packed brochure says: “With an average wedding costing upwards of an eye-watering £11,000, how about theming your wedding to make it green and local?

“You could save yourself a tidy sum and do your bit for the environment.”

The tips include:

Food glorious food: Source all your food for the wedding or civil partnership locally.

Get me to the church…or the venue you have chosen in a mode of transport that is not powered by petrol, such as a tandem or a horse and carriage.

All dressed up: Go for designer chic on a budget by buying your outfit at a charity shop.

Paper chase: Make your own confetti from recycled greetings cards or use birdseed (don’t throw rice – it’s is bad for birds).

Flowers are lovely: Use flowers that are in season or see if any allotment holders would be willing to give you flowers for an unstructured bouquet.

Ceremonies in West Sussex, which is produced by West Sussex County Council Registration Service, also contains:

· A guide to wedding fairs being held locally throughout the year.

· Valuable information that will help you plan your ceremony.

· Answers to many of the questions commonly asked about the legal aspects of getting married or registering a civil partnership.

· Details of the exceptionally wide range of romantic venues for weddings and civil partnerships, as well as five conveniently sited Register Offices.

· An A to Z guide of ceremony specialists – businesses that can offer a wide variety of services to meet all your ceremony day needs.

Peter Evans, County Council Cabinet Member responsible for the Registration Service, said: “The wide range of information, detail and facts contained in this eye-catching, ever-popular brochure make it invaluable for anyone planning a wedding or civil ceremony.

“By highlighting such a range of venues, facilities and services, Ceremonies in West Sussex helps underline why people are so keen to get married or have their civil partnership in our county.”

Other Registration Services detailed in the brochure are:

•  Naming Ceremony – a non-religious ceremony to welcome a baby, child or children into your family.
• Renewal Ceremony – a non-religious ceremony for couples who wish to re-celebrate their wedding or civil partnership.

Ceremonies in West Sussex 2010 can be obtained from the County’s Register Offices, which are at:

Chichester – Greyfriars, North Street.

Crawley – next to the Library in Southgate Avenue.

Haywards Heath – County Offices, Oaklands, Oaklands Road.

Horsham – Park House, North Street.

Worthing – Centenary House, Durrington Lane.

It can also be delivered direct to your door free-of-charge by phoning 01243 642122.

Alternatively it can be viewed on-line at www.westsussex.gov.uk, which also includes direct links to advertisers’ websites.

Italian Market on its way

A little slice of Italy is coming to Crawley.

Italia In Piazza’s Real Italian Food Market will arrive in Queens Square on Thursday March 25, as part of Crawley Town Centre Partnership’s desire to bring more vibrancy and diversity to the shopping area.

Authentic Italian food will be on sale from 9am-4pm, including cheeses, cured meats, herbs, pasta, olives, breads, biscuits, cakes and oils.

Ready-to-eat hot food will also be on offer, from pizza to sausages and stuffed rice balls.

Broadfield Boxing Club (final name undecided)

Working with the Outreach team from WSCC it was made clear that a provision of a Boxing Club would meet a lot of the aims for this area.

Broadfield alone has approx 5200 residents aged 25 yrs or below. This ward along with others has many ethnic backgrounds and cultures. To combine this with Bewbush and neighbouring areas on the South West of the Town it is a very young and diverse area.

Crawley has 2 long established Boxing Clubs in Crawley Keystone ABC in west green and Crawley ABC in three bridges. These are well respected and well used. The West of Crawley has access to these Clubs and facilities but speaking to people in Broadfield and Bewbush, they cannot always get access to travel to these clubs or are just not interested in travelling to the other side of town.

The proposal is to set up a Boxing Club in Broadfield, covering Bewbush, Gossops Green, Tilgate area to provide a facility which will draw in diverse people from the area, hard to reach people who may not mix with each other. This would be a great opportunity to work with community cohesion and bring together youngsters with possible extremist views on politics and religion, to work together in sport.

We would only be starting out small and probably over subscribed so any overflow we could encourage to attend the other more experienced clubs with the possibility of transport (Crawley Community Transport).

We have the support of WSCC, CBC, Crawley Police, Crawley ABC and Keystone ABC. A planning meeting is being arranged involving the above and local community leaders to get this project off the ground and something hopefully started for the Summer 2010.

Please contact me for any further information or any suggestions you may have Cllr Lee Gilroy 07593141806 or lee.gilroy@crawley.gov.uk

Broadfield Youth Drop in Centre

This is being sent up by Lee Gilroy (Local Councillor), Adam Brown (Local Councillor), Louise Weekes (Resident) and Stephen Pearson (WSCC Youth Services). In conjunction with a group of Local youngsters who provide input into what the drop in centre can do for them.

Broadfield has approx 5200 residents aged 25 yrs or below. This neighbourhood has many ethnic backgrounds and cultures, being probably the youngest and most diverse area in Crawley.

This centre has had a grant from WSCC and will have two dedicated Youth Workers from WSCC for the initial start up period. From then on it will be run by us and other Volunteers who are coming on board who will be trained by WSCC.

This will be a first of its kind and what could be the First Independent Youth Centre in West Sussex. It is aimed at a attracting Young people who would not normally go to a youth club and provides them an opportunity to go somewhere other than hanging about on the streets. Somewhere safe and somewhere where they won’t be asked anything just left to drop in and go as they please. We are hoping to have this for free entrance and reach an age group from 11 to 21 but the youth will determine really the age group, from who turns up.

The Youth have been meeting on a regular basis planning the future of the club and the basis is set. This looks like a really positive move for Broadfield and all will be welcome.

Please contact me for any further information or any suggestions you may have Cllr Lee Gilroy 07593141806 or lee.gilroy@crawley.gov.uk

Sign up for a town twinning visit to Germany

This summer the Crawley Town Twinning Association (CTTA) is arranging a group visit to our twin town of Dorsten in Germany.

Since 1973 Crawley has been linked with Dorsten, with many residents of the two towns forming close and lasting friendships.

Exchanges have been arranged between sports clubs, scout groups, choirs and bands which have given young and old the opportunity to travel abroad for international concerts, competitions and camps.

This year, at the end of August, a group will be going to Germany for a week to visit interesting places in the area and experience life in a different country. On such visits those travelling cover the cost of the coach hire, which also covers the cost of local trips while in Germany.

Accommodation is provided by German families and the following year the Crawley group reciprocates by hosting visitors from Germany in their own homes.

Most of our German friends speak excellent English so it is not necessary to speak German, although opportunities can and do arise should you wish to try out your language skills.

The visit is open to single people, couples and families (usually of up to four people). Children of all ages (accompanied by a parent or grandparent) are particularly welcome.

Anyone interested should contact the secretary Geoff May, Secretary of CTTA, on 01293 885444 or email GMay584553@aol.com

Photo caption: Mayor of Crawley, Councillor Brenda Burgess, and Councillor Bob Burgess on a boat trip in Germany

Crawley Borough Council prevents flooding

Crawley Borough Council officers prevented flooding in Ifield and Maidenbower over the weekend.

Despite the threatened 40mm of rain not materialising, the 20-25mm that did fall in the early hours of Sunday morning would have flooded Crawley if council staff had not lowered Tilgate Lake and cleared rubbish grills in the town’s waterways.

The council’s Emergency Planning Officer, Tim Mordaunt, said: “Throughout the week we worked with the Environment Agency and Met Office to forecast the rain and plan contingencies.

“With the already saturated ground the rain that fell still had the capacity to cause major flooding in Ifield and Maidenbower.”

On Saturday and Sunday the council’s contractors lowered the levels at Tilgate Lake to allow for extra rainwater storage and all trash grills were cleared, which allows the water to flow freely along waterways.

Tim continued: “During high rainfall several tons of rubbish is moved by the rain, which becomes trapped on the trash grills, restricting the flow of water and causing flooding.

“Without this regular clearance we would have flooded in Crawley at the weekend. We also cooperated closely with Gatwick Airport Limited and local authorities in Surrey to ensure the continued clearance of flood waters away from Crawley.

“Many thanks not only to all the staff that were out during this heavy rain at the weekend but also to those who changed their weekend plans and carried a phone with them at all times to make sure they was available if required.”

Councillor Bob Lanzer, Leader of the Council, thanked staff who had helped.

He said: “Thanks very much to everyone involved for your hard work over the weekend.

“Prevention does not always receive the right acknowledgement or profile but we know what happens when it fails. Yours efforts to protect Crawley and its citizens over the weekend are much appreciated.”

Help with tenancy issues

Residents who are having issues with their private sector landlord or housing association can now get help from Crawley Borough Council.

The council’s Tenancy Relations Officer, Becky Gostick, provides a general information service on all aspects of housing law. This includes advice on security of tenure, possession orders, rent and rent arrears and recovery of deposits.

Any resident having problems with their tenancy, or who would like more information on how to deal with these issues, is urged to contact the council.

The Tenancy Relations Officer is also here as a mediation tool between landlord and tenant to assist in the prevention of homelessness.

Councillor Jennifer Millar-Smith, Cabinet member for Housing, said: “The Tenancy Relations Service is a great way for private residents to resolve issues they are having with their landlord and I am delighted that the council can offer this support.

“Becky can help with various housing issues as well as complex legal problems. So if you have any issues, get in touch.”

For more information call Becky Gostick, Tenancy Relations Officer, on 01293

438939 or email rebecca.gostick@crawley.gov.uk