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Crawley Borough Council has signed off on almost £1m of grant funding for the Re-Energise Manor Royal project.

The aim of the project is to improve the sustainability and resilience of the energy supply in the Manor Royal Business District, while also cutting carbon emissions.

The £987,689 will be taken from the Crawley Towns Fund programme – a £21.1m grant given by the government in 2021 to foster economic regeneration, stimulate investment and deliver vital infrastructure.

Atif Nawaz, cabinet member for planning & economic development, said the Re-Energise project had taken ‘years of detailed preparation and planning’ and would be delivered through an independent non-profit Local Energy Community (LEC), which was established in 2023.

It will include the installation of rooftop solar panels on several of the commercial buildings in the area.

Mr Nawaz added:

“The initial public investment will help the LEC to establish itself and build momentum.

"The longer-term vision is for the LEC to continue rolling out solar infrastructure across Manor Royal by attracting additional private finance.”

In December, the council declared a Climate and Nature Emergency, pledging to achieve net zero carbon emissions across the borough by 2045. Mr Nawaz said the Re-Energise project was ‘a significant step’ towards achieving that goal.

Michael Jones, leader of the council, said:

“This is an excellent utilisation of the Towns Fund money.

"It’s good for the environment as a major de-carbonisation project, it’s good for business and the local economy as it will deliver tangible benefits to Manor Royal and keep its industry competitive. So what’s not to like?

“It has taken a little while to reach what we hope will be a successful conclusion with this.

"For the benefits it will deliver, I’m absolutely certain it will have been worth the wait.”

The project has been declared as a subsidy under the UK government’s Subsidy Control Act 2022.

Essentially this means that the council is giving an economic advantage to the Manor Royal Business District which it would not otherwise receive under normal market conditions.