The Develop Croydon Forum Partner Meeting at Gatwick Airport was a chance to intensify bonds between the two locations and metaphorically reduced the mere 18 mile distance between them. That’s only 14 minutes by train (most of the time).
High on the agenda was how best to link the global hub which is Gatwick with the South London hub that is Croydon. Indeed the A23 / M23 / Brighton mainline rail corridor is vital to the UK’s ongoing economic development, as are the businesses which are located nearby.
It makes logical sense for global businesses – or UK ones operating overseas – to want to locate near the most cost-and-time effective transport links whilst also looking for locations their workforces to want to perform to the best of their abilities.
Not only is part of the London Borough of Croydon’s Economic Development Plan to be the capital’s most enterprising area by 2040, but there are also some impressive office and industrial premises in Crawley / Gatwick – an area in which my company Stiles Harold Williams have high market share.
Indeed, the London Borough of Croydon has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with the airport guaranteeing jobs and associated benefits for the borough should expansion be approved.
With Heathrow reaching or already at over-capacity, both in terms of airspace and what the residents of West London will tolerate – we at Develop Croydon believe Gatwick is the only feasible, deliverable option for airport expansion in the South East.
Gatwick is currently undergoing a £2.5bn transformation – including 20 new long haul flights – to help bring the world to our region and promote it into the premier league of European airports. It is part of a decade of change to also make Gatwick the UK’s most sustainable airport.
The increased synthesis and co-operation of Croydon and Gatwick will result in 16,000 new jobs and 10,000 new homes. Multiply the number of new jobs by almost a factor of ten if the government green-lights airport expansion North Sussex / Southern Surrey.
To deliver on these proposals will take effort and diligence – to coin a phrase they don’t come Duty Free. But these twin destinations are on course for a happy landing in a good place soon.