But for how long?

By Sussex Courier | Friday, February 17, 2012, 08:00

CROWBOROUGH is set to lose its tag as the biggest inland town in East Sussex.

Crowborough mayor Kay Moss
General shots of Crowborough High Street. TWSL20111128C-012_C

Wealden District Council has pencilled in plans for thousands of homes across Uckfield and Hailsham, but barely a few hundred in Crowborough.

As the town is hemmed in by protected countryside which cannot be developed, its rival towns were always going to catch up, said mayor Kay Moss.

But, she added, it was vital to ensure the town did not suffer if the district council plans went ahead and it lost its unique status.

"We don't want the town to just become another commuter town," she said.

Crowborough's population currently stands at 20,200, with Hailsham close behind on 19,200 and Uckfield on 13,500, according to district council estimates.

As reported in the Courier last week, there will be no jobs created in Crowborough if the district council's development plans go ahead, despite there being 300 homes earmarked for the town.

The Hailsham and Hellingly area, proposed to get more than four times that amount of housing, will get much-needed jobs.

Mrs Moss said there was nothing that could be done to prevent other towns from outgrowing Crowborough.

"It's just a fact really, and there's nothing we can do about it," she said.

"We don't want to give up our green land and so other towns will become bigger."

But it was equally important the town was not neglected she warned, adding: "That's why I raised the point about retail space being looked at for others and not for us. We want to keep our thriving town centre."

Traders have expressed concern that Crowborough may be overtaken in size leading to shoppers taking their business elsewhere, such as Uckfield.

Daly Hayward from This And That in Croft Road, said: "I think Uckfield town centre is already better than Crowborough's.

"I think Crowborough will find it difficult without another retail area being created.

"As the other towns get bigger and have better facilities, then shoppers won't be coming to Crowborough."

Wendy Webster, owner of Benefactors in the High Street, agreed.

"If more things are going to be in the likes of Uckfield and Hailsham then more people will go there," she said.

"We want to encourage more people into the town centre and if people were working in the area, then we'd get more in. That isn't going to happen if other areas get jobs and growth and we don't."

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Comments

Crowborough suffers from being too close to Tunbridge Wells. Unless it can differentiate itself - as Lewes does from Brighton, or on a smaller scale, Forest Row does from East Grinstead, it is just going to be filled with people who sleep in the town but live their lives further afield.

By shooter73 at 15:41 on 21/02/12
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We don't want the town to just become another commuter town...

Ummmmm that's exactly what we are! Supermarkets may love the place but in terms of entertainment outside of on or two decent Chinese and Indian restaraunts there isn't a lot else here is there?

By SCNomad at 14:26 on 20/02/12
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Nasty modern houses on horrid estates on the outskirts of a town do not make it more vibrant. They simply attract more of the sort of people who like to live in such places. Washing the car, gym class, maybe a barbie in the summer, that sort of thing. However the estate agents and developers try to spin it what you end up with a few years down the line is terrible sit-com fodder that brings nothing to Crowborough but blandness.

By shooter73 at 22:08 on 19/02/12
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Mrs Moss "We want to keep our thriving town centre", Daly Hayward "I think Crowborough will find it difficult without another retail area being created"

What planet are these people on? Crowborough High Street is obviously not thriving, the last thing we need is another retail area. Wendy Webster is right when she says "We want to encourage more people into the town centre and if people were working in the area, then we'd get more in"

A population of 20,000 or so should easily support a town centre the size of ours however the reality is most people shop elsewhere, and the outcome is shops have to reduce prices to attract custom which means lower quality etc and its a ever decreasing spiral.

We can hope that Tunbridge Wells is priced out the market by cr parking chanrges and fuel prices.

However many people work out of the town, and with the appalling transport links very few firms will relocate to Corwborough. East Sussex County Councils approach is to reduce speed limits for no apparent reason making it even slower to get to and from the town.

We have an OK rail service (well its reliable and cheap) but there is a shortage of rolling stock and the single line restricts the number of trains that cun run which means its overcrowded and infrequent.

We need better roads, better rail and no more shops. If everyone in the town did a bit of their shopping here the shops would be more successful and that in itself would attract custom.

Maybe the Town Council should give every council taxpayer a rebate on their council tax in the form of a voucher to be spent in local non supermarket shops. That would do more to boost the local economy than anything else they have done!

By CrowSceptic at 09:06 on 19/02/12
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good, at least cboro can try and keep SOME of its identity

By mazza1970 at 16:26 on 18/02/12
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