The news has been too negative for too long. So, as we start this new decade, I’d like to talk about the hopes I have for Crawley’s future.

Big changes are ahead of us and, understandably, that causes concerns. The decline of the high street, automation, and moving to zero carbon all come at a cost, but they bring opportunities too. Cottage weavers, with reason, feared the mills but the industrial revolution they heralded created an explosion in household incomes.

Crawley is fantastically well-placed to succeed in this new economy. Our transport links rival any in the country and the council’s investment in ultrafast broadband will create a digital infrastructure to rival it.

True, to share the benefits of growth requires retraining people for the jobs of the future and investing in new uses for public spaces, but the changes we face mark a beginning–not an end–for Crawley.

Cllr Peter Lamb

Leader, Crawley Borough Council