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Crawley Proposed Cycling & Walking Improvements

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Town Centre - Manor Royal Business Park via Northgate Avenue


Cycling and Walking Improvements

West Sussex County Council are working to deliver improved cycling and walking facilities. By encouraging more walking and cycling, particularly for shorter journeys, we can help to reduce congestion on our already busy road network. We’ll also help to improve air quality and create safer, more pleasant places in which to live, work and do business.

Underpinning our approach to improving the transport network within the county is the West Sussex Transport Plan 2022-2036. The document sets out how the county is intending to address a number of challenges, including climate change, congestion and road safety. To address these issues, the Council is looking to implement a series of transport improvement schemes across the county, including the proposed cycling and walking improvements in Crawley – the purpose of this webpage.

We are seeking feedback on the proposed cycling and walking improvements between Crawley Town Centre and Manor Royal Business Park. The consultation is open until midnight on 11th July 2022. Your feedback will help shape further development of the designs and inform our decision on how to take the proposals forward.

You can find out more about the proposals below and complete the survey (opens in new window).



About the proposals

The proposed improvements extend between Crawley Town Centre and Manor Royal, via Northgate Avenue. The scheme is split up into two separate yet complementary parts, both of which we are seeking feedback on.

It is important to note that, although we are consulting on the whole scheme, the two parts could be delivered together or separately, subject to the outcome of this consultation exercise.

1. Northern Section: Manor Royal Link

The northern part of the scheme aims to improve links to the Manor Royal Business District, which is one of the largest business areas in the South East, providing more than 30,000 jobs. There is significant growth and development taking place at Manor Royal, including more than £1.5million of public realm improvements secured through the Government’s Towns Fund, which includes the installation of new seating and outdoor public spaces within Manor Royal. The proposals for this area will complement the wider development of Manor Royal and help to promote active and sustainable travel alternatives for workers accessing the site. We are proposing to:

    • Widen and improve the existing off-road cycle track between Northgate Avenue and Woodfield Road;
    • Provide a new parallel crossing on Woodfield Road, with dedicated space for pedestrians and cyclists, connecting with the off-road cycle path;
    • Provide raised tables at junctions on Woolborough Lane (south of the subway) to encourage lower vehicle speeds and allow cyclists to safely access the new crossing facilities. Cyclists would continue to ride in the carriageway on a very short section whilst parking will be retained only on the residential houses side of the road;
    • Upgrading the existing two-way cycleway through the underground subway, and potential lighting improvements;
    • A new LTN 1/20 compliant segregated two-way cycle lane on one side of Woolborough Lane (north of the subway) connecting with the existing off-road path leading to Manor Royal, with a kerb to separate the cycle lane from the main carriageway;
    • Upgrade the off-road path between Woolborough Lane and Manor Royal, with segregated provision for pedestrians and cyclists; Widening of the existing path to achieve LTN1/20 compliance will depend on whether the adjacent land can be acquired to widen the path; and
    • Upgrade the existing toucan crossing at Manor Royal by converting to a signalised parallel crossing, which would improve safety for cyclists and pedestrians.

2. Southern Section: Northgate Avenue

The southern part of the scheme aims to transform Northgate Avenue, one of the key routes into the town centre, by providing dedicated facilities for cyclists. By segregating cyclists from pedestrians and general traffic, this would improve safety of all road users, and facilitate smoother and more attractive journeys on foot or by bike.

The proposals would connect with the Eastern Gateway Scheme, which is set to deliver £8.85 million worth of public realm and connectivity improvements in Crawley town centre by Summer 2022.

If delivered, the proposed cycling improvements on Northgate Avenue will connect with the Eastern Gateway Scheme, helping to create an integrated network of active travel infrastructure across the town. By linking the proposals, the schemes will deliver a direct route into the town centre and key sites including the Town Hall, County Buildings and Crawley College.

The proposals for Northgate Avenue include:

  • Provide stepped, kerbed one-way cycle lanes on both sides of the road, by removing some of the existing grass verge The cycle lanes are in accordance with Local Transport Note 1/20 guidance, and will help provide a safer environment for cyclists away from general traffic and pedestrians;
  • Convert the existing shared-use path on the western side of Northgate Avenue to a footway. The current path is substandard;
  • Reduce the speed limit on Northgate Avenue from 40mph to 30mph; and
  • Upgrade crossing facilities in certain locations, including dedicated parallel crossings for cyclists.

Please refer to the consultation maps for a detailed overview of the proposals:

The technical drawings are also available from the documents links on the right-hand side of the page.

The images below show what the improvements could look like.

An artist's impression of the proposed improvements on Northgate Avenue, Crawley.An artist's impression of the proposed improvements on Northgate Avenue, Crawley.


An artist's impression of the proposed improvements on Northgate Avenue, Crawley. An artist's impression of the proposed improvements on Northgate Avenue, Crawley.



An artist's impression of the proposed improvements between Crawley Town Centre and Manor Royal
An artist's impression of the proposed improvements between Crawley Town Centre and Manor Royal.


An artist's impression of the proposed improvements between Crawley Town Centre and Manor Royal

An artist's impression of the proposed improvements between Crawley Town Centre and Manor Royal.



The proposals have been designed in accordance with national design guidance for cycling, including the Local Transport Note 1/20, which provides advice on delivering high quality cycle infrastructure. The impact of the scheme on all road users has been considered, to ensure that the needs of everyone are met, whilst facilitating safer and easier journeys for cyclists and pedestrians.



Strategic context

As the largest town in West Sussex, Crawley provides a range of attractions including Tilgate Park and the K2 Leisure Centre. The town is also an important centre of economic activity, home to the major Manor Royal Business District and nearby Gatwick Airport.

Crawley has been identified as a priority area for investment, with ambitious growth plans for the town over the coming years. Despite this, the town faces a number of transport-related challenges, which will only worsen as the town grows. Crawley’s existing walking and cycling facilities are in need of improvement: much of the network is disconnected, poorly surfaced and lacks safe crossing points. Northgate Avenue provides a key route between Crawley town centre, Manor Royal Business Park and Gatwick Airport; yet cycling and walking facilities along the route are poor. This causes safety concerns and can create a barrier for people wishing to walk or cycle. Research has suggested that there is potential to encourage nearly 5,000 Gatwick Airport employees to cycle to work; with over half of staff living in Crawley.

In order to address these challenges, and to support the planned development across the town, West Sussex County Council are proposing a series of cycling and walking improvements in Crawley. The overarching objectives of the scheme are to:

  • Provide safe, attractive and connected routes for cyclists and pedestrians;
  • Provide a gateway into Crawley town centre for active mode users and improve access into the town;
  • Enhance sustainable access to Manor Royal Business District;
  • Contribute towards the delivery of a coherent and connected cycle network across the town, connecting with existing cycle infrastructure;
  • Complement wider initiatives and investment programmes across the town including the Crawley Growth Deal and Towns Fund; and
  • Improve air quality by reducing vehicle trips and encouraging more people to travel by bike.

The proposed scheme is an integral part of the Crawley Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan (LCWIP), which was adopted by Crawley Borough Council in 2021. The LCWIP details the borough’s proposed approach to delivering a high-quality network of safe, practical and attractive walking routes for Crawley residents and visitors. One of the routes identified within the Crawley LCWIP was Route A: Gatwick Airport to town centre via Manor Royal and Northgate. The potential for investment along this route was also recognised through the Crawley Growth Programme; a £60m package of investment that will “unlock” jobs and growth across the town. The proposed cycle scheme forms an integral part of the LCWIP Route A.

The scheme has been identified by West Sussex County Council as one of the three priority schemes across the county to be taken forward. Since the LCWIP was adopted, further work has been undertaken to develop and refine the proposals along the route. West Sussex County Council are now seeking feedback on the latest proposals, before applying for funding to deliver the improvements.



Funding the Improvements

We have been awarded more than £150,000 of investment from the Department for Transport’s Capability Fund. This funding has enabled us to develop our next package of cycling and walking schemes.

The proposed Cycling and Walking Improvement scheme in Crawley (the focus of this webpage) forms one of three Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plans (LCWIP) schemes currently under development.

We will use the feedback provided throughout the consultation to inform more detailed design work and decide on the next steps for the project. Subject to the outcome of the consultation, we would then be looking to apply for the Government’s Active Travel Funding in Summer 2022.



Have your say!

Between 14th June and 11th July 2022, we want to hear your views on the proposed cycling and walking improvements for Crawley. Your feedback is important to us at this early stage and will help shape the designs moving forward.

Please take this opportunity to let us know what you think by completing our survey, which can be accessed via the link at the bottom of this page.

We will use your feedback from the survey, along with other information about the proposals, to develop more detailed designs.


We also held two drop-in consultation events, to give you the opportunity to speak and ask questions to a member of the project team.

The events took place on:

- Thursday 23 June, 12 noon to 2pm at Crawley Library, RH10 6HG

- Wednesday 29 June, 5.30- 7.30pm at Hazelwick School, RH10 1SX


Privacy statement: West Sussex County Council will collect some personal data (e.g. age, sex) in fulfilment of a statutory duty. We will process this data in accordance with the 2018 Data Protection Act, General Data Protection Regulations and any subsequent relevant legislation. West Sussex County Council are registered as Data Controllers (Reg. No. Z6413427). For further information about our Data Controllers, please see www.westsussex.gov.uk/privacy-policy.

The data will be collected, processed and analysed by our consultants, WSP, on behalf of West Sussex County Council for the purpose of this consultation only. For further information about WSP’s data protection policy please see https://www.wsp.com/en-GL/legal/privacy-policy.

Where it exists, we will provide details of any project related content which is not fully accessible under a heading of 'Non-accessible content' below.

Alternative Formats: If you require any of the information for this project in an alternative format, please contact us on 01243 642105 or via email at activetravel@westsussex.gov.uk and we will do our best to assist you. If you are deaf or hard of hearing and have an NGT texting app installed on your computer, laptop or smartphone, you can contact us on 18001 (01243 642105).

We are always looking to improve the accessibility of this website. If you find any problems not listed on this page or you think we are not meeting accessibility requirements, then please contact us on 0330 222 2146 or at haveyoursay@westussex.gov.uk.


Non Accessible Content

  • Northern Section: Technical Drawing- to assist in the understanding of the proposals (exempt)
  • Southern Section: Technical Drawing- to assist in the understanding of the proposals (exempt)
  • Full Scheme Map - to assist in the understanding of the proposals (exempt)
  • Map 1: Manor Royal - Napier Way - to assist in the understanding of the proposals (exempt)
  • Map 2: Woolborough Lane and Woodfield Road - to assist in the understanding of the proposals (exempt)
  • Map 3: Northgate Avenue (Northern Section) - to assist in the understanding of the proposals (exempt)
  • Map 4: Northgate Avenue (Central Section) - to assist in the understanding of the proposals (exempt)
  • Map 5: Northgate Avenue (Southern Section) - to assist in the understanding of the proposals (exempt)


Survey web browser compatibility

Please note that this software does not work with Internet Explorer. Please use one of the browsers below when completing the survey to ensure it looks and works as it should. These are:

  • Microsoft Edge version 86 and above
  • Chrome version 86 and above
  • Firefox version 78 and above
  • Safari version 14 and above

Town Centre - Manor Royal Business Park via Northgate Avenue


Cycling and Walking Improvements

West Sussex County Council are working to deliver improved cycling and walking facilities. By encouraging more walking and cycling, particularly for shorter journeys, we can help to reduce congestion on our already busy road network. We’ll also help to improve air quality and create safer, more pleasant places in which to live, work and do business.

Underpinning our approach to improving the transport network within the county is the West Sussex Transport Plan 2022-2036. The document sets out how the county is intending to address a number of challenges, including climate change, congestion and road safety. To address these issues, the Council is looking to implement a series of transport improvement schemes across the county, including the proposed cycling and walking improvements in Crawley – the purpose of this webpage.

We are seeking feedback on the proposed cycling and walking improvements between Crawley Town Centre and Manor Royal Business Park. The consultation is open until midnight on 11th July 2022. Your feedback will help shape further development of the designs and inform our decision on how to take the proposals forward.

You can find out more about the proposals below and complete the survey (opens in new window).



About the proposals

The proposed improvements extend between Crawley Town Centre and Manor Royal, via Northgate Avenue. The scheme is split up into two separate yet complementary parts, both of which we are seeking feedback on.

It is important to note that, although we are consulting on the whole scheme, the two parts could be delivered together or separately, subject to the outcome of this consultation exercise.

1. Northern Section: Manor Royal Link

The northern part of the scheme aims to improve links to the Manor Royal Business District, which is one of the largest business areas in the South East, providing more than 30,000 jobs. There is significant growth and development taking place at Manor Royal, including more than £1.5million of public realm improvements secured through the Government’s Towns Fund, which includes the installation of new seating and outdoor public spaces within Manor Royal. The proposals for this area will complement the wider development of Manor Royal and help to promote active and sustainable travel alternatives for workers accessing the site. We are proposing to:

    • Widen and improve the existing off-road cycle track between Northgate Avenue and Woodfield Road;
    • Provide a new parallel crossing on Woodfield Road, with dedicated space for pedestrians and cyclists, connecting with the off-road cycle path;
    • Provide raised tables at junctions on Woolborough Lane (south of the subway) to encourage lower vehicle speeds and allow cyclists to safely access the new crossing facilities. Cyclists would continue to ride in the carriageway on a very short section whilst parking will be retained only on the residential houses side of the road;
    • Upgrading the existing two-way cycleway through the underground subway, and potential lighting improvements;
    • A new LTN 1/20 compliant segregated two-way cycle lane on one side of Woolborough Lane (north of the subway) connecting with the existing off-road path leading to Manor Royal, with a kerb to separate the cycle lane from the main carriageway;
    • Upgrade the off-road path between Woolborough Lane and Manor Royal, with segregated provision for pedestrians and cyclists; Widening of the existing path to achieve LTN1/20 compliance will depend on whether the adjacent land can be acquired to widen the path; and
    • Upgrade the existing toucan crossing at Manor Royal by converting to a signalised parallel crossing, which would improve safety for cyclists and pedestrians.

2. Southern Section: Northgate Avenue

The southern part of the scheme aims to transform Northgate Avenue, one of the key routes into the town centre, by providing dedicated facilities for cyclists. By segregating cyclists from pedestrians and general traffic, this would improve safety of all road users, and facilitate smoother and more attractive journeys on foot or by bike.

The proposals would connect with the Eastern Gateway Scheme, which is set to deliver £8.85 million worth of public realm and connectivity improvements in Crawley town centre by Summer 2022.

If delivered, the proposed cycling improvements on Northgate Avenue will connect with the Eastern Gateway Scheme, helping to create an integrated network of active travel infrastructure across the town. By linking the proposals, the schemes will deliver a direct route into the town centre and key sites including the Town Hall, County Buildings and Crawley College.

The proposals for Northgate Avenue include:

  • Provide stepped, kerbed one-way cycle lanes on both sides of the road, by removing some of the existing grass verge The cycle lanes are in accordance with Local Transport Note 1/20 guidance, and will help provide a safer environment for cyclists away from general traffic and pedestrians;
  • Convert the existing shared-use path on the western side of Northgate Avenue to a footway. The current path is substandard;
  • Reduce the speed limit on Northgate Avenue from 40mph to 30mph; and
  • Upgrade crossing facilities in certain locations, including dedicated parallel crossings for cyclists.

Please refer to the consultation maps for a detailed overview of the proposals:

The technical drawings are also available from the documents links on the right-hand side of the page.

The images below show what the improvements could look like.

An artist's impression of the proposed improvements on Northgate Avenue, Crawley.An artist's impression of the proposed improvements on Northgate Avenue, Crawley.


An artist's impression of the proposed improvements on Northgate Avenue, Crawley. An artist's impression of the proposed improvements on Northgate Avenue, Crawley.



An artist's impression of the proposed improvements between Crawley Town Centre and Manor Royal
An artist's impression of the proposed improvements between Crawley Town Centre and Manor Royal.


An artist's impression of the proposed improvements between Crawley Town Centre and Manor Royal

An artist's impression of the proposed improvements between Crawley Town Centre and Manor Royal.



The proposals have been designed in accordance with national design guidance for cycling, including the Local Transport Note 1/20, which provides advice on delivering high quality cycle infrastructure. The impact of the scheme on all road users has been considered, to ensure that the needs of everyone are met, whilst facilitating safer and easier journeys for cyclists and pedestrians.



Strategic context

As the largest town in West Sussex, Crawley provides a range of attractions including Tilgate Park and the K2 Leisure Centre. The town is also an important centre of economic activity, home to the major Manor Royal Business District and nearby Gatwick Airport.

Crawley has been identified as a priority area for investment, with ambitious growth plans for the town over the coming years. Despite this, the town faces a number of transport-related challenges, which will only worsen as the town grows. Crawley’s existing walking and cycling facilities are in need of improvement: much of the network is disconnected, poorly surfaced and lacks safe crossing points. Northgate Avenue provides a key route between Crawley town centre, Manor Royal Business Park and Gatwick Airport; yet cycling and walking facilities along the route are poor. This causes safety concerns and can create a barrier for people wishing to walk or cycle. Research has suggested that there is potential to encourage nearly 5,000 Gatwick Airport employees to cycle to work; with over half of staff living in Crawley.

In order to address these challenges, and to support the planned development across the town, West Sussex County Council are proposing a series of cycling and walking improvements in Crawley. The overarching objectives of the scheme are to:

  • Provide safe, attractive and connected routes for cyclists and pedestrians;
  • Provide a gateway into Crawley town centre for active mode users and improve access into the town;
  • Enhance sustainable access to Manor Royal Business District;
  • Contribute towards the delivery of a coherent and connected cycle network across the town, connecting with existing cycle infrastructure;
  • Complement wider initiatives and investment programmes across the town including the Crawley Growth Deal and Towns Fund; and
  • Improve air quality by reducing vehicle trips and encouraging more people to travel by bike.

The proposed scheme is an integral part of the Crawley Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan (LCWIP), which was adopted by Crawley Borough Council in 2021. The LCWIP details the borough’s proposed approach to delivering a high-quality network of safe, practical and attractive walking routes for Crawley residents and visitors. One of the routes identified within the Crawley LCWIP was Route A: Gatwick Airport to town centre via Manor Royal and Northgate. The potential for investment along this route was also recognised through the Crawley Growth Programme; a £60m package of investment that will “unlock” jobs and growth across the town. The proposed cycle scheme forms an integral part of the LCWIP Route A.

The scheme has been identified by West Sussex County Council as one of the three priority schemes across the county to be taken forward. Since the LCWIP was adopted, further work has been undertaken to develop and refine the proposals along the route. West Sussex County Council are now seeking feedback on the latest proposals, before applying for funding to deliver the improvements.



Funding the Improvements

We have been awarded more than £150,000 of investment from the Department for Transport’s Capability Fund. This funding has enabled us to develop our next package of cycling and walking schemes.

The proposed Cycling and Walking Improvement scheme in Crawley (the focus of this webpage) forms one of three Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plans (LCWIP) schemes currently under development.

We will use the feedback provided throughout the consultation to inform more detailed design work and decide on the next steps for the project. Subject to the outcome of the consultation, we would then be looking to apply for the Government’s Active Travel Funding in Summer 2022.



Have your say!

Between 14th June and 11th July 2022, we want to hear your views on the proposed cycling and walking improvements for Crawley. Your feedback is important to us at this early stage and will help shape the designs moving forward.

Please take this opportunity to let us know what you think by completing our survey, which can be accessed via the link at the bottom of this page.

We will use your feedback from the survey, along with other information about the proposals, to develop more detailed designs.


We also held two drop-in consultation events, to give you the opportunity to speak and ask questions to a member of the project team.

The events took place on:

- Thursday 23 June, 12 noon to 2pm at Crawley Library, RH10 6HG

- Wednesday 29 June, 5.30- 7.30pm at Hazelwick School, RH10 1SX


Privacy statement: West Sussex County Council will collect some personal data (e.g. age, sex) in fulfilment of a statutory duty. We will process this data in accordance with the 2018 Data Protection Act, General Data Protection Regulations and any subsequent relevant legislation. West Sussex County Council are registered as Data Controllers (Reg. No. Z6413427). For further information about our Data Controllers, please see www.westsussex.gov.uk/privacy-policy.

The data will be collected, processed and analysed by our consultants, WSP, on behalf of West Sussex County Council for the purpose of this consultation only. For further information about WSP’s data protection policy please see https://www.wsp.com/en-GL/legal/privacy-policy.

Where it exists, we will provide details of any project related content which is not fully accessible under a heading of 'Non-accessible content' below.

Alternative Formats: If you require any of the information for this project in an alternative format, please contact us on 01243 642105 or via email at activetravel@westsussex.gov.uk and we will do our best to assist you. If you are deaf or hard of hearing and have an NGT texting app installed on your computer, laptop or smartphone, you can contact us on 18001 (01243 642105).

We are always looking to improve the accessibility of this website. If you find any problems not listed on this page or you think we are not meeting accessibility requirements, then please contact us on 0330 222 2146 or at haveyoursay@westussex.gov.uk.


Non Accessible Content

  • Northern Section: Technical Drawing- to assist in the understanding of the proposals (exempt)
  • Southern Section: Technical Drawing- to assist in the understanding of the proposals (exempt)
  • Full Scheme Map - to assist in the understanding of the proposals (exempt)
  • Map 1: Manor Royal - Napier Way - to assist in the understanding of the proposals (exempt)
  • Map 2: Woolborough Lane and Woodfield Road - to assist in the understanding of the proposals (exempt)
  • Map 3: Northgate Avenue (Northern Section) - to assist in the understanding of the proposals (exempt)
  • Map 4: Northgate Avenue (Central Section) - to assist in the understanding of the proposals (exempt)
  • Map 5: Northgate Avenue (Southern Section) - to assist in the understanding of the proposals (exempt)


Survey web browser compatibility

Please note that this software does not work with Internet Explorer. Please use one of the browsers below when completing the survey to ensure it looks and works as it should. These are:

  • Microsoft Edge version 86 and above
  • Chrome version 86 and above
  • Firefox version 78 and above
  • Safari version 14 and above
Page last updated: 23 Dec 2022, 09:12 AM