Crawley’s Innovation Centre opens its doors to the community
Morgan Sindall Construction’s Southern Home Counties Business has successfully handed over Crawley Innovation Centre to Crawley Borough Council (CBC), commemorating the milestone with an opening event.
To celebrate the building’s transformation from a former Tui travel house into a state-of-the-art economic, innovation, and technological hub, representatives from the Morgan Sindall team, Crawley Borough Council, London Gatwick Airport, Gatwick Diamond Business, the Manor Royal BID, local businesses, and future tenants gathered to the site on the 19th of March to tour the refreshed facility. Tenants are scheduled to move in early summer, include Naked Energy and Sweetinburgh & Windsor.
Procured through the SCAPE Construction framework, the project team set out to deliver a significant conversion and major upgrades to the MEP system. Completing the 2,500 sq. m centre with six workshop rooms, 23 offices, flexible co-working space, desk hire space, a business networking hub, and a café.
Crawley Innovation Centre, a key component of the town’s 2022-2037 economic recovery plan, was approved by the CBC Planning Committee. As a result of government funding, Crawley BC was able to acquire the building and undertake conversion works to create the Innovation Centre.
As a part of the Manor Royal Business District, the conversion aims to boost Crawley’s economy, building on its post-COVID recovery to drive further economic growth. Additionally, the centre is set to promote greener, cleaner energy while uniting high-tech small business tenants and larger organisations, cultivating an environment of innovation and entrepreneurship. The centre will not only enhance research and development in the region but also but create manufacturing jobs and attract business investment.
In line with Morgan Sindall’s Intelligent Solutions approach, the project team has engaged with innovative recycling and reusing management company, Encore, ensuring that all waste from the pre-existing site and throughout construction has been 100% reused or recycled. The project, in collaboration with the design team, client team, MSC, and supply chain, achieved a carbon reduction of over 110 tons, equivalent to the annual heating of 37 homes.
As part of the SCAPE framework, Morgan Sindall’s Southern Home Counties business committed to achieving a minimum social value return of 30% throughout this project.
Consequently, the team utilised the local supply chain during construction to ensure a positive impact on Crawley’s community. This included providing 86 apprentice weeks of training, 25.5 hours of school engagement, and the equivalent of 4 local full-time jobs, generating just under £1 million in local supply spend. Notably, 80% of this spend was with small and medium enterprises. The project also achieved a score of 44/45 with the Considerate Constructors Scheme.
Working alongside Morgan Sindall, Miller Bourne Architects, Stephen Wilson Partnership Structural and Civil Engineering Consultancy, Delta Green Environmental Design, and Yellow Wren Interior Design have been instrumental in delivering the Crawley Innovation Centre.
Guy Hannell, Area Director for Morgan Sindall Construction in the Southern Home Counties, said:
It’s been a pleasure to work alongside Crawley Borough Council and SCAPE to deliver this Innovation Centre to the community. It’s admirable to see the commitment that Crawley Borough Council has to boosting the town’s economy, creating jobs and opportunities for innovative output. To be part of that legacy brings us great pride.
We're eager to seeing the research and development that comes out of Crawley as a result of the centre, and look forward to welcoming in the tenants who will be making this facility their new home.”
Councillor Atif Nawaz, Cabinet Member for Planning and Economic Development said:
I was really pleased to see the Crawley Innovation Centre officially open its doors to our community. This state-of-the-art facility represents a significant step forward in our commitment to delivering innovation, economic growth, and sustainability. We are providing a hub for high-tech businesses and entrepreneurs, to create jobs and attracting investment for the future.”
ENDS