The situation in West Sussex has seen a council face significant financial challenges as a result of a new town hall building being vacant for more than half of its office space. Crawley Borough Council’s The Create Building, located in The Boulevard, has remained unoccupied for over two years, with 55% of its office space not being leased out. This has resulted in a loss of potential income amounting to over £1m, as reported by the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS), which highlighted that there could have been earnings of £2,307,273 per year if all 77,000 sq ft (7,154 sq m) of commercial space had been rented out.
Despite efforts to attract tenants, the council spokesperson emphasized the importance of finding the right occupants to ensure the stability of long-term income for The Create Building. While progress has been made with 35,000 sq ft (3,252 sq m) being leased between March 2023 and the end of March 2025, generating £1,260,912 in revenue, there still remains a significant gap of £1,046,361 in potential earnings. The construction of this nine-storey building, which commenced in the spring of 2020 and completed in late 2022, marked a significant milestone for the council before it was officially opened in March 2023.
The challenges faced by Crawley Borough Council underscore the importance of maximizing the utilization of resources to mitigate financial losses. With a significant portion of the new town hall building remaining unoccupied, efforts to attract tenants and fill the commercial space are crucial for the council to secure stable income streams. As the council continues to navigate these challenges, finding suitable tenants for The Create Building will be essential to ensuring its financial sustainability and long-term success in generating revenue
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