School Closures in Crawley on Monday 6th Feburuary - Updated – 18:20 – 5/2/12
Currently there are no reported school closures.
Schools have been asked, where possible, to keep their own websites updated.
If you know of any schools that are not on the above list please Facebook Crawley Happy Times or email bry@crawleyhappytimes.co.uk
Borough MP Henry Smith has congratulated Crawley Council on their launch this week of a new website and leaflets highlighting neighbourhood parade shops across the town.
Henry said:
“This is an idea that has real benefits for both shoppers and shop owners in Crawley. Many people may not be aware that just round the corner are shops that could cater for their needs without having to travel greater distances. Shop owners will also benefit as this new service will help bring in new customers.
“The idea is a great way for the Council to help our much loved neighbourhood parades. So I encourage residents to show their support.”
The website will allow locals to search for shops in their area or by trade. Details of the shops opening hours, products sold and a picture of the shop itself will be easily accessible. The free leaflets will also help residents that do not know already where these shopping parades are and provide information on how to access the shop finder on the website.
Henry added:
“I strongly encourage shops that have not yet registered with this scheme to do so and to take advantage of this great initiative. I’m pleased that an overwhelming majority of parade outlets have already been included.”
Follow Henry daily via: www.facebook.com/henrysmithmp or visit: www.henrysmith.info for further details.
Black History Month 2011 kick’s off on Saturday 24th September with a Launch Parade in the Town Centre
Lots of local Entertainment & Free BBQ
More details to follow soon
On Saturday 8th October the “Main Event” will be held @ The Hawth
Details to follow soon.
Crawley Happy Times are proud sponsors of – Crawley Black History Month 2011
Sussex St John Ambulance is on the hunt for would-be paranormal investigators to take part in a spooky sponsored fundraising event at Newhaven Fort.
The ‘Spooktacular’ ghost hunt in aid of the nation’s leading first aid charity will take place on Saturday 22nd October at the 123-year-old fort where eerie encounters are frequently reported.
There have been many supernatural sightings at the fort, particularly in the tunnel leading to the beach. The sound of soldiers’ boots and air raid sirens are said to have been heard there and there are tales of a ghostly drummer boy who reportedly haunts this section of the coastline.
Sussex St John Ambulance County Fundraiser Jeanne Peterson: ‘This promises to be an unforgettable evening for anyone interested in the paranormal.
‘Of course there’s a fun side to it but the aim couldn’t be more serious. We need to generate donations to continue our life saving work in local communities – work which is very often the difference between a life lost and a life saved.’
It costs £39 to take part in the event but if you manage to raise £100 or more for St John Ambulance your ticket fee will be refunded.
The hunt takes place from 7.30pm on the Saturday until 2.30am the next morning. Hot soup will be provided and there’ll be an auction of paranormal investigation equipment.
A maximum of 40 ghost hunters will be guided in small groups by experienced paranormal investigators and a psychic medium.
Book online at www.compassparanormalevents.co.uk or call Compass Paranormal Events on 01558 292838.
St John Ambulance has more than 1,000 adult volunteers and more than 700 youth members in Sussex. Last year they devoted more than 168,000 voluntary hours to providing first aid cover at hundreds of public events across the county.
The charity receives no core Government funding and is not part of the NHS so relies on public support to help fund its vital first aid services.
To find out more about volunteering or fundraising please call 01273 371 500 or visit www.sja.org.uk/sussex
Crawley’s Got Talent (CGT) is an exciting event that will showcase Crawley’s diverse talent across all age groups.
CGT want to hear from you or your group if you sing, dance, act, make people laugh or have an unusual talent or skill.
Auditions will take place at the end of October and the live final will be early February 2012.
For more information contact Vikki Jacobs vikki.jacobs@crawley.gov.uk 01293 438565 or Liz Hart liz.hart@crawley.gov.uk 01293 438156.
Live Auditions at;-
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On Saturday 20th August, Crawley was treated to a surprise visitor.
Barry with Son Shane and boxer Carl 'the jackal' Frampton
Champion boxer Barry McGuigan came down to Crawley Amateur Boxing Club with his up and coming talented young boxer Carl ‘the jackal’ Frampton who is training for his European title match in three weeks time in Belfast. Barry told us he had come down to make use of sparring partners Ross Payne, Ben Murphy and Ben Jones, all renowned boxers. Barry is the Manager of Carl in association with Matchroom. Barry’s son Shane is assisting his father with the training of Carl and came along on this day.
Shelley went along to speak to Barry. We would like to thank the Hopcraft family and Micky Alldis for this great opportunity.
Interview:
Pictures:
Henry Smith enthusiastically supports the Government’s review which will boost the number of local pubs. As part of its commitment to the Great British pub, the Government this week launched a review of restrictive covenants, a legal clause that can be used to prevent community pubs reopening as public houses following a sale.
Henry said:
“In my role as a Member of the All-Party Parliamentary Group responsible for pubs and an avid supporter of the CAMRA campaign, I fully recognise the importance of pubs as hubs of community life and that they are as important to the local social scene as they are to the local economy here in Crawley. But time is being called at too many of our ‘locals’, depriving people of treasured places to get together in the community.
“In September I will have the privilege to get behind the bar at the Mill House pub in Ifield and see firsthand the difficulties faced by publicans whose premises often act as a focal point for local communities. I should note, however, that those looking for free samples will be bitterly disappointed.
“The Government is putting the people back in charge, giving them the power to step in and save their much-loved community assets. By reviewing this restrictive red tape we will enable people to use their collective powers to ensure that their locals remain local and continue to thrive at the heart of every community.”
The Government has already announced that it is supporting community pubs via a range of policies, including:
• Introducing a community right to buy. New rights through the Localism Bill will enable residents to save struggling pubs by taking them over rather than seeing them empty and derelict. Communities seeking to do this can get the expert advice they need through the Government-funded Asset Transfer Unit.
• Reviewing the rules on restrictive covenants. These rules have often restricted competition and seen pubs disappear from our towns and villages.
• A ban on the sale of alcohol below cost price. This will help protect local pubs from deep discounting by some supermarkets.
• Reforming licensing rules. This will make it easier to play live music in local pubs.
• Fair taxation on alcohol. Having already abandoned the last administration’s proposals for a significant increase in cider duty, the Government is balancing the need to tackle problem drinking without unfairly penalising responsible drinkers or ignoring the social and economic importance of pubs.
• The doubling of small business rate relief for another year. The Government is providing £380 million to extend the temporary one-year increase in Small Business Rate Relief which started last October for a further year (1 October 2011 – 30 September 2012). Eligible pubs should take advantage of this, because they do not always claim the discounts they are entitled to. The Government is also cutting red tape for businesses re-applying for this relief in the future.
Follow Henry daily via: www.facebook.com/henrysmithmp or visit: www.henrysmith.info for further details.
‘Buccaneer Rangers’ at Buchan Country Park in Crawley - Young people do not have to be pirates to take part.
Unaccompanied eight to 14 year olds can take part in exploration (August 9), fieldcraft (August 10) and conservation (August 11) outdoor activities to see what the life of a countryside ranger is like. Activities are from 10am to 1pm. It costs £5 per child per session. Booking and consent forms are essential.
Other events at the park this month are:
• Guided Wildlife Safaris – explore the wilder parts of the park in a two-hour session with a countryside ranger. Take part in activities such as navigating, pond-dipping, bug hunting and related games – you decide which ones you want to do with the ranger. Sessions run from August 15-19 and August 22-26, starting at 10.30am and 2pm. This event is suitable for all the family, and children aged from four years. Tickets cost £3 per child and accompanying adults are free, or £3 for adults without children. An adult must accompany children.
• Family Bushcraft – practical hands-on day for all the family from 10am to 3pm on August 31. It consists of shelter building, firelighting and fireside food. Booking is essential. Tickets cost £7.50 per person, or £25 for a family of four. This event is suitable for children aged from four years. An adult must accompany children. Booking and consent forms are essential.
For more information about the events, or to book, phone 01293 542088/544120, or email buchan.park@westsussex.gov.uk
The County Mall are holding their Wildlife Programme every Thursday for the next couple of weeks to entertain the children during the school holidays.
We thought we would pop in last Thursday to see what it was all about.
Don’t miss out next Thursday when the Cute Cuddly Pets are coming to the County Mall in Crawley.
For times and dates on the forthcoming events please click here…
With more than 40 miles of coastline, West Sussex is well placed for fish-lovers, with many places to buy direct from fishermen. The latest edition of Taste West Sussex looks at some of the varieties of fish available.
The magazine for West Sussex foodies has a range of articles, special offers and dates for the diary focusing on local food and produce.
Other articles include:
• The British Tomato Growers Association, based in West Sussex, and squashing some of the myths around the tomato.
• The appeal of orchards and their history in West Sussex.
• Gluten-free food and diets, and how to bring out the best in food.
• The revival of the alpaca in West Sussex, and where to visit and see them.
• Where to find samphire on the West Sussex coastline, how to cook it and what it goes well with.
West Sussex Leader Louise Goldsmith said: “Taste West Sussex supports our many local food and drink producers, as well as having handy recipe ideas and details of what’s in season. Buying local is good for the environment and benefits our local businesses and economies.”
Taste subscriptions are available for just £8.50 for three issues, delivered direct to your door. All subscribers get a free ‘Bag of Taste’ environmentally friendly jute bag (while stocks last).
Subscribers become a member of the Good Taste Club and receive a regular ‘Tastemail’ electronic newsletter with discounts, offers, recipes and foodie dates.
Taste West Sussex is available from a number of outlets including local food retailers and can be read online at www.westsussex.gov.uk/taste.
For further information contact 01243 777431, e-mail taste@westsussex.gov.uk or visit the website. The next issue of Taste West Sussex is due out in the autumn.
FIREFIGHTERS WARN OF BULB DANGER
West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service is reminding people of the dangers of leaving clothing close to exposed light bulbs after a family had a lucky escape in Storrington last night.
Two fire crews from Storrington were called shortly after 9pm last night to a detached house on Bracken Lane after the owners discovered smoke filling a first floor bedroom in their home and called 999.
Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus entered the bedroom and discovered a pair of socks had become wedged beside the bulb of a bedside lamp which had been left on. The socks had started smouldering, creating thick smoke logging in the room. Crews removed the lamp to the garden and used a positive pressure fan to ventilate.
The family managed to leave the property safely prior to the arrival of the Fire Service. One male was treated for mild smoke inhalation by paramedics at the scene but did not need hospital treatment.
Watch Manager Martin Mckilligin, the Incident Commander, said afterwards:
“People often don’t realise just how hot exposed light bulbs can become so it’s really important to check nothing is placed on or near them. In this case it was a pair of socks that had become inadvertently wedged down the side of a bedroom lamp in a child’s bedroom while the family were all downstairs. We’d suggest it’s much safer to switch lamps and other electrical equipment off when not in use.
“Thankfully, because of the sensible actions of the homeowner, who closed the bedroom door and immediately dialled 999 when he discovered the smoke filling the bedroom, the smoke damage was contained to the room of origin and everyone was able to leave the property safely.”
Firefighters offer some simple tips to keep your family safe from fire:
. Wherever possible make sure that electrical equipment is switched off and unplugged at the wall when not in use.
. Get into the habit of closing doors, this will help slow the spread of fire.
. Make sure you have a smoke alarm fitted on each level of your home and test it weekly – it can give you that vital early warning to a fire.
. If you do discover a fire – get out, stay out and call 999.
Need fire safety advice? It couldn’t be easier! Simply call the Community Fire Safety team on 01243 642789 or visit www.westsussex.gov.uk/fire
On the 21st July at 7:20pm the first guests at the Crawley NCT (National Childbirth Trust) event ‘The Do!’ began to queue outside Club 7878 in Horley. They had been told that the first 50 guests through the door at 8pm would receive a gorgeous goodie bag (some of the details of which had been posted on the events Facebook page over the last few weeks). The first people admitted were greeted by the branch co-chairs – Alexis Ozmen and Clare Hoggan who presented them with their much anticipated bags. The club was decked out in balloons in NCT colours, there were cupcakes and nibbles for all to enjoy as they dipped into their goodie bags to discover the treats within and sipped their first drink. They were also treated to some close up magic by magicians Rob Sharp and Simon Archer.
While the DJ played some excellent party tunes, the guests continued to arrive before they were welcomed by the Co-Chairs, followed by an address by Member of Parliament for Crawley Henry Smith who shared his experience with the NCT having attended Ante Natal Classes in the Branch. After the final speaker Jules Jones who spoke about being a parent and volunteering with the NCT Henry Smith pulled the first 3 prizes in the fabulous prize draw then the lights were dimmed and the music cranked up and everyone concentrated on enjoying themselves.
MP Henry Smith helps pick the lucky winners of the raffle
The NCT is the UK’s largest parenting charity providing support in pregnancy with our excellent antenatal classes, supporting post-natally with breastfeeding support and early years classes all held locally within branches. Crawley branch have a weekly drop in – Bumps, Babes and Tiddlypeeps (Held on a Tuesday morning at Furnace Green Community Centre, Ashburnham Drive 10– 11:30am – everyone is welcome for a suggested donation of £1 to assist with hire costs) and hold Nearly New Sales twice yearly (in March and November) where anyone can buy and sell good quality pregnancy, baby and child related items. As well as these regular events there are also ad hoc social events for parents and their children (for example a Teddy Bears picnic and Christmas party as well as coffee mornings and soft play gatherings) and evening events for the hard working parents such as pamper evenings and fashion shows.
The night was danced away
In order to put on all these great events the branch is in need of volunteers. Volunteering is great fun and does not need to be time consuming – there are roles to suit everyone, committee posts which are a regular role as well as the smaller one off things like hosting a social event (large or small) and helping out at our nearly new sales. Whatever role a person takes on they can rely on the fact that they will be part of a fantastic team, have great fun meeting new people and will receive full support in their role. To find out more about the branch visit the facebook page by clicking here, email the chairs chair@nctcrawley.org.uk or call our branch enquiries line 08442436098.
Shelley interview Clare Hoggan & Alexis Ozmen
‘The Do!’ is the first event of its kind and was an enormous success. Its purpose was to thank all the volunteers of the branch past, present and future and everyone enjoyed themselves, lots of guests won prizes in the draw which were all donated by local businesses and the goodie bags were very well received. Alexis and Clare would like to thank Ian Metcalfe of Club 7878 (and Bar 429) for the use of the venue which was perfect, Sabine Edwards of Pendleton Events who donated her time and ensured the event ran smoothly, all the donors to the prize draw and goodie bags, Rob and Simon for wowing people with card tricks and the sponsors of the cupcakes and nibbles.
A great night was had by all and everyone is now crying out for more!
Source: Clare Hoggan, Crawley NCT Branch Co-Chair
We would like to thank Sabina and Clare for the great hospitality and the invite to this fab event 
An Olympics inspired weekend offering hoards of free activities attracted hundreds of visitors.
Open Weekend, organised by Crawley Borough Council, K2 Crawley and Crawley Schools Sports Partnership, celebrated a year to go to the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic games.
Featuring free demonstrations, lessons and all kinds of dance, the weekend saw the launch of Crawley in Motion, the name for sporting, cultural and community projects taking place in the town in the next 18 months; while it also drew a close to Dance in Motion, a month-long festival of dance.
The weekend kicked off on Friday (July 22) with the help of an impressive Flashmob of all ages, shape and sizes.
Made up of adults and children from local schools, Crawley Council, Ginger Moo, K2 Crawley, Healthy Balanced Generation (HBG) Gym at Oriel High School and SA Academy (dance school), the mob wowed the Town Centre with their impromptu dance display in Queens Square.
Shaun Angel, owner of SA Academy, dedicated many free hours to teaching the active mob their moves before the launch.
Along with the Flashmob the event rolled ahead with interactive theatre Run Turtle Run; karate taster sessions and the Lazy Town Sports Club.
On Sunday, K2 Crawley played host to Dance in Motion’s finale day with lessons in Latin, ballroom and street as well as a children’s dance party, Michael Jackson workshop and a grand ball.
Dancers of all abilities were invited to join in the fun, which included an exciting cabaret from top ballroom amateur couple Ian Sharpe and Victoria Lawrence, with music from top London dance DJ, Mr Wonderful. More than 300 people visited the centre for Dance in Motion activities alone.
For more information about Crawley in Motion visit www.crawley.gov.uk/inmotion
On Thursday 21st July we sent Shelley along to see the first specially adapted apartment designed to assist spinal injury patients on leaving hospital.
The newly furbished apartment is based in Barley House, Barley Close, Southgate. It is situated in the new flats by The Guinness Trust Partnership. Aspire are a charity who help spinal injury patients adapt into the world of being a wheelchair user.
We spoke to Krupesh Hirani, Policy & Research Officer for Aspire National Training Centre who told us “Aspire are a charity who help people who have been paralysed by spinal cord injury. Every eight hours a person in the UK is paralysed by a spinal cord injury. The housing programme is one of our main programmes. What we look at is housing people after their injury. The most common cause of a spinal injury is a road traffic accident so they will not have been a wheelchair user previously. They could live in a first floor flat. what that means is someone could be discharged into a setting which we think is not positive for their rehabilitation. Or they might have to be discharged to a care home or could be kept in hospital for a longer period of time, which is also not the best situation. So what we do through our housing programme is find temporary accomodation for wheelchair users to be discharged to while their long term housing solution is being looked at. Our tenants have a six month contract. In which time they are assisted in their rehabilitation and their requirements in their own home to help meet their needs. This apartment is the first in Crawley. We have 21 apartments such as this across the country. We lease the apartment from housing associations such as The Guinness Trust so if there are any housing associations which identify a need, we are very happy to discuss options. The apartments already in place were identified as being needed in that area by the NHS and we will carry on trying to identify the needs of such apartments in all areas. We already have apartments in Brighton all the way up to Glasgow. The apartment is part of the Guinness Trust’s 500th project and has been operational for just over a month”.
We then spoke to our local MP Henry Smith who told us “This is a really good and it’s great that Aspire have opened their twenty first unit here in Crawley. It is specifically designed to help people who have suffered a spinal cord injury. To be able to spend six months here, to be able to learn how to live a normal life again is great. the unit is specially adapted to help them so they know what they may need when returning back to their own home. With an injury of this kind happening every eight hours this type of work is essential to the community. Alot of people do not know about Aspire but that is not unusual as it is relatively rare to know someone with a spinal injury. It is really important that for the people who have to transform their lives they have the support from charities such as Aspire. It’s also wonderful that Aspire have chosen Crawley for their this new unit. Being able to be discharged from hospital is a benefit to everyone, including the cost on the NHS, so this serves as a great function to everyone involved. It also helps the wheelchair user learn what they may need adapting in their own home and what doesn’t. This type of injury is a devastating and very serious situation for those effected. It’s great to be aware of the help that is offered by such charities as Aspire”.
We met Mark at Barley House. Mark had recently been involved in an accident which left him paralysed. Mark has been in the apartment for a month now and looked like he was adapting very well to his new situation. We would like to wish Mark all the best for his future.
We took some pictures while visiting.
Three of Crawley’s attractive parks have again been awarded the prestigious Green Flag.
Beautiful Tilgate Park has received the award for the tenth consecutive year while Goffs Park, in Southgate, and the Memorial Gardens in the town centre have picked up their fourth Green Flags – the national standard for quality parks and green spaces.
Tilgate Park, set in 400 acres, scooped its first Green Flag in 2002. Winners are judged to be welcoming, safe and well maintained and involve the local community.
Tilgae Park
Tilgate Park boasts a nature centre, golf course, lakes, lawns and gardens, woodland walks and bridleways.
Goffs Park has a lake, 18-hole pitch and putt course, miniature steam railway, state-of-the-art play facilities and is home to Crawley Museum.
The Memorial Gardens are an oasis of calm in the middle of the bustling town centre, with lunching office workers and sunbathers enjoying the lush lawns and vibrant plants.
Councillor Lenny Walker, Cabinet member for Leisure and Cultural Services, said: “This is a fantastic achievement and we are delighted to have won these awards.
“For Tilgate to have been awarded the Green Flag for 10 consecutive years is nothing short of amazing.
“All of these flags demonstrate the continued commitment of the council and its dedicated staff to keeping these great parks and open spaces so special, while providing a wide range of leisure activities. It is also just reward for a huge contribution from the Friends of Goffs Park.”
The Green Flag Award is sponsored by the Department for Communities and Local Government, English Heritage and Natural England.
For more details on Crawley’s parks visit www.crawley.gov.uk/parks
For more details on Green Flag Awards visit www.greenflagaward.org.uk
ALL WELCOME AT WORTHING FIRE STATION OPEN DAY
Everyone will be guaranteed a warm welcome at Worthing Fire Station on Saturday 30th July as firefighters host their annual Open Day.
This popular event, one of the biggest of its kind on the South Coast, attracts up to 6000 people and is guaranteed to be a fun-filled day out for the whole family.
The Open Day, held between 10am and 4pm at the Station on Ardsheal Road, is an opportunity for people to get a rare peak behind the scenes of a busy Fire Station, get a closer look at all the 999 appliances, find out more about the role of a professional firefighter and chat informally to their local crews about a range of fire and road safety issues.
Worthing firefighters will be joined by 999 colleagues from South East Coast Ambulance Service, Red Cross and Sussex Police with their appliances, both old and new.
There will be plenty to see and do throughout the day, including:
. Firefighting and RTC rescue displays
. Fire engine rides and fire engine simulator
. ‘Barley’ the Fire Investigation dog
. Various craft and charity stalls
. Bouncy castle, bowling alley, face painting and children’s rides
. Model trains & boats and mini car display
. Plenty to eat and drink
Darren Wickings, a Watch Manager at Worthing Station who organises the Open Day, said:
“We really look forward to welcoming people to the Fire Station. The focus of the day for us is, of course, to raise awareness of both fire and road safety – our aim is to make Worthing a safer place to live, work and visit. What we hope is that people have a really enjoyable family day out but also take away a few really important safety tips.”
Admission to the Open Day is free and any proceeds will be donated to the Firefighters Charity and other selected local charities. Ardsheal Rd will be closed for the duration of event.
Economic plan for town is launched
A new economic business plan for Crawley was agreed by Crawley Borough Council last night (Wednesday July 20).
The plan, titled Crawley’s Economic Plan (2011-16) In support of prosperity, sets out the council’s vision, role and purpose. It’s designed to be a short-term plan with a range of priority areas and activities which the council has a role in delivering.
The plans priorities are:
¢ Revitalise the town centre
¢ Enhance Manor Royal Business District
¢ Support the development of a sustainable Gatwick
¢ Encourage new business and local supply chain opportunities
¢ Contribute to the development of skilled and enterprising people and businesses
¢ Support housing supply and sustainable transport improvements
¢ Develop an economy noted for its environmental excellence.
The council is committed to supporting the economy and the plan is focussed on the next few critical years. To demonstrate that commitment the council is committed to reporting progress in public and inviting interested parties and the community to comment and contribute to the ongoing development and delivery of the plan.
The plan is also practical and focuses on areas where the council can make an impact.
Councillor Claire Denman, Cabinet member for Planning and Economic Development, said: Delivering the plan against a challenging economic backdrop will not be easy. The plan tries to balance ambition with realism.
Its an action-focussed plan and already the council is making progress in key areas including Manor Royal, the town centre and in housing and delivering important infrastructure.
The Local Economic Action Group has been a key partner in the development of the plan, letting the council know what’s important to the Crawley business community.
John Stapleton, Chair of the LEAG, said: delighted that the Crawley Economic Plan has been agreed. The LEAG and Crawley Borough Council are committed to working jointly to support the delivery of the plan over the next five years.
We will play an active role as a critical friend to the council and provide oversight to support the delivery of the plan.
For more information about the LEAG visit www.crawley.gov.uk/leag
FIRE CADETS – NOW RECRUITING FOR A NEW GENERATION!
West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service is looking for enthusiastic young people who feel they have got what it takes to be a Fire Cadet.
A new 25-week Fire Cadet programme begins on the 6th October at Haywards Heath Fire Station and applications are being encouraged from young people between the ages of 15 and 18.
For the right candidates the Fire Cadets course is a unique opportunity to experience life on a Fire Station, learn Fire Service drills, life saving skills, search and rescue techniques and much much more. There will also be the chance to represent West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service at public events across the county.
West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service want to hear from young people who:
. Enjoy working in a team
. Are fit, energetic, and enjoy practical outdoor tasks
. Want to help and support others
. Would like to achieve a nationally recognised accreditation
. Want to achieve the silver or bronze Duke of Edinburgh award – optional
. Can commit to the full 25-week course (every Thursday 6.30pm-8.30pm term time only)
Think you’re up for the challenge? Find out more now by calling the Youth Team on 01243 752535 or email youthinitiative@westsussex.gov.uk
Henry Smith MP has welcomed the announcement by Network Rail of improvements to be made at Three Bridges train station which will enhance accessibility, facilities and the overall station environment for passengers.
Henry said:
“Three Bridges train station is a vital transport link for Crawley, with a large number of residents travelling to work from the station every morning. Therefore I’m delighted that these improvements have been announced by Network Rail.
“It’s essential that a commuter hotspot like Three Bridges station is accessible and comfortable for all passengers. With these improvements, I expect that frequent users of the station will see their commute improved, whilst also attracting new customers who will be eager to take advantage of the enhancements made.
“Today’s announcement comes on top of last October’s decision by Gatwick Airport to jointly fund with Network Rail a £53 million project of much needed improvements to Gatwick Train Station.”
Developing upon the first phase of improvements completed at the station last year, the recently started second stage will see enhancements including the creation of new waiting areas for passengers, relocation and refurbishment of the ticket gates and surrounding area, along with upgrading drainage to reduce the chances of standing water during wet weather.
Follow Henry daily on Facebook by visiting: www.facebook.com/henrysmithmp
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