We handed over the keys to the demolition company at the start of this week to begin the work that will bring the Old Town Hall down. At first, this will be gradual but over time the effects will be very apparent.
The ornate Stone crest that used to sit above the entrance has already been safely removed, and on Friday will be formally unveiled by our Mayor in its new home, taking pride of place in the mezzanine of the new Town Hall.
I know for many this will be an emotional moment. There are a lot memories tied up in the old town hall and a lot of history was made there. But with life, comes fresh challenges and new goals.
Our motto as a town and as a council is ‘I grow and I rejoice’—and with growth, inevitably there comes change. And change is the price we pay for progress. Our local public services are now run in a modern, state-of-the-art facility in the new Town Hall that is delivering in ever more efficient ways for local people.
There are many fond memories of the Old Town Hall for many councillors, past and present, not least myself, members of staff, residents and visitors who used the Borough Council’s services or used the Civic Hall.
It has provided us great service over the years, and we bid our final farewell to it with gratitude and recognition to what it meant for so many. We remember the New Town pioneers who gifted us the scale of vision for what could be done for our neighbourhoods and our community. Too many to list everyone to the justice they deserve, but the building where some of those giants like Alf Pegler and Bert Crane helped shape and deliver that vision which we are all fortunate enough to experience the benefit of today.
First entering the old Town Hall in 2010 as a lowly backbencher, on March 9 2023 I left for the final time as Leader of the council. Like any decent ship captain, I was the last councillor in our old Town Hall and probably the last person left still working there as I gathered my things together from my office. It was a poignant, emotional moment for me as I walked through many familiar offices and corridors for the last time. Remembering many colleagues and friends, some now absent.
Memories of the committee rooms, the offices, the wonderful chamber, the civic hall, the reception area, the old hub.
The old town hall will make way, it is currently intended, for new residential and commercial spaces. This project is a key part of the council’s vision to drive economic growth and rejuvenate the area.
The demolition work, funded by the Government’s Brownfield Land Release Fund, will see £2,386,624 invested into clearing the land for its new use. But we shall not forget what went before it.
Cllr Michael Jones
Leader, Crawley Borough Council