…hopefully very different to the old boss! Now that control of Crawley council has changed hands it will be interesting to see what happens. The Crawley News jumped in quick with their suggestion of what Labour’s top ten priorities should be. It is a strange list.

For a start, it includes three things that the council has no direct influence on: potholes, the hospital and Gatwick. They may be right that these things are what the town’s residents will want addressed, but with so much to do in areas that the borough council *is* responsible for, should they put too much time and energy into things that it isn’t?

As far as potholes are concerned, the News suggests that the borough council should pay for some repairs. When budgets are so tight and some of the borough council’s own services are at risk is that a good idea?  Which borough services should be cut to make up for the county council spending a disproportionate amount of its repair budget in Chichester? Far better for the town’s county councillors to continue putting pressure on the county. (Or just press for unitary status and then the town gets control of its own roads?)

Gatwick is an interesting one. While it would be good for the council to have an official position on whether it supports expansion, that will have no effect on whether it happens. Opinion on this is split in the town and in all parties so while it would be right for the council to have a position, it would involve protracted and heated discussion and distract everybody from getting on with things that can actually be done.

I see that ice rink is on the list too. I think that has been on the to-do list for the last twenty years, so good luck with that!

I reckon the council will have enough on their plate just doing something about the town centre, local plan and housing.