Crawley approves 130 new homes on former school site

The Winchester Road development in Tilgate, Crawley, is a recently approved housing scheme on the former Thomas Bennett Lower School site.

Crawley Borough Council granted planning permission in September 2026 for Kinsted Developments, a joint venture between West Sussex County Council and Lovell Partnerships, under reference CR/2025/0006/FUL.

The scheme will deliver 130 new homes, comprising 54 flats and 76 houses, with 53 homes designated as affordable housing. The development includes associated works such as site clearance, re-profiling, improved and new access routes for vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists, landscaping, public realm improvements, utility and energy infrastructure, and Sustainable Drainage Systems.

The site is at the western end of Winchester Road, near the junction with Anderson Road and on the edge of the K2 athletics track. Plans show a gateway park facing Winchester Road, with play space and tree planting, plus retained cycle and footpath access along the northern boundary and a new pedestrian link to Tilgate Forest.

Local concerns raised during the approval process focused on noise and lighting impacts from the nearby K2 track, road safety around school traffic, and physical site constraints. To address these, the council required coordination over floodlighting and noise mitigation, a raised junction table to slow traffic, a road safety audit before occupation, and a reduced housing total to allow for a buffer around an underground gas main and a stream.