Crawley Borough Council : goes platinum!

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Crawley New Town turns 70 today (9 January) - the date in 1947 when it was announced that the area around Crawley, Three Bridges and Ifield had been chosen as the location for one of eight new towns outside around London.

On January 9 1947 the then Minister for Town and Country Planning, Lewis Silkin MP, confirmed the order designating Crawley as a new town. The intention was to move people and industry out of the overcrowded and bomb-damaged capital and into the countryside.

The aim was to create a town of 50,000 people by building nine new neighbourhoods between the villages of Three Bridges, Ifield and the small market town of Crawley.

Since then, Crawley has grown beyond the original vision to become 14 neighbourhoods with a population of more than 100,000 people.

To mark this momentous birthday, Crawley Borough Council is arranging a year of exciting events and celebrations. More will be added throughout the year but here is a preview of some of the highlights:

• The opening of the new Crawley Museum in The Tree in the High Street, including never-before-seen New Town exhibits
• The reopening of Queens Square as a high quality, distinctive, adaptable and enjoyable public space
• Various school projects to celebrate the 70 years of Crawley New Town
• Art projects and exhibitions by local artists and community groups
• Concert of music from across the past seven decades
• 1940s ballroom dance and tea party
• Historical walks
• 1947 outdoor cinema event
• Crawley Library will display the Roger Bastable's Crawley exhibition, which showcases the 100 best photographs in the Roger Bastable collection showing the building of Crawley New Town in 1950s, and promote Roger Bastable's Crawley Flickr display at https://www.flickr.com/photos/westsussexpast/albums
• Metrobus will theme a bus for the 70th anniversary
• Vintage Christmas festival.

The council asked students at Thomas Bennett Community College to design a logo to 'badge' the 70th anniversary events. Several quality logos were sent in and a design has been chosen for the anniversary.

In celebration of the 70th birthday, the council would also like to hear about any clubs, societies or schools that are planning, or would like to arrange, small community led events to celebrate the town's platinum year.

The celebrations could be anything from community bake sales, 1940s themed parties, or a themed activity which remembers and celebrates any part of our town's 70 year journey. Please email your ideas to [e-mail]

In addition, the council's Open Grants scheme is now open for applications for neighbourhood action. This can include events celebrating Crawley's 70th anniversary so for more information and to apply for funding visit www.crawley.gov.uk/grants

Councillor Michael Jones, Cabinet Member for Community Engagement at Crawley Borough Council, said: 'We are pulling together an exciting and varied programme of events to make this a year to remember for everyone in Crawley.

'We're keen to hear any more ideas that residents have and have grants available to help fund events. So get in touch!'

Dates and details are subject to change. Read Crawley Live, visit www.crawley.gov.uk/events, find us on Facebook or use #Crawley70 on Twitter (@crawleybc) for up-to-date information.