Crawley Borough Council
Crawley Borough Council is responsible for a number of local issues. These include:
Parking, Planning, Social Services, Environmental Health, Noise Nuisance, Council Tax and Housing Benefit. Initial queries should be directed to the appropriate Council department (Switchboard – 01293 438000).
West Sussex County Council
West Sussex County Council is the local authority that is responsible for matters such as highway, transport, schools, public health, social care, libraries and the West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service, amongst other services.
Education
Schools in Crawley fall within the remit of Crawley Borough Council so it is advisable to initially visit their website, or contact Crawley schools on 0845 075 1007.
Crime and Safety
To report a crime or for useful contact info, queries should be directed to Sussex Police or for any non-urgent issues contact Crawley Police on 0845 6070 999. For help and advice on your consumer rights contact Trading Standards. Crimestoppers is a website run by an independent charity helping to find criminals and help solve crimes. Members of the public can anonymously provide information about crimes or find more about crime in your own area. You can also track crime through www.Police.uk. This web tool allows local residents to track what happened after a crime was committed in the neighbourhood. You can not only access street level crime data but also see what action the local police have taken as a result and whether offenders went to court.
Health
If you have a complaint against a particular hospital, there is a complaints procedure available from Surrey and Sussex NHS Trust. If your complaint does not concerning a particular hospital, you may wish to contact NHS Complaints.
Housing
If you are a Council tenant, queries about housing should be directed to Crawley Borough Council.
Street Maintenance
Crawley Borough Council looks after many parts of your local environment, from litter picking and tree maintenance to grass cutting. To see how they carry out maintenance and deal with problems, visit the Street Maintenance page. To report a particular road and pavement repair visit FixMyStreet. This website will allow you to report local problems (such as graffiti, fly tipping and potholes) and it will then send on a message to the relevant council. You simply enter a nearby postcode or street name, locate the problem on a map of the area and record details of the issue.
Benefits
If you have a problem with benefits or the Child Support Agency, it is wise to seek expert advice before contacting your MP. In the first instance, try the Citizens Advice Bureau, or another advice agency. It is normally helpful if you have your National Insurance number to hand when making an enquiry.
Employment
Problems to do with working conditions, Health & Safety, dismissal, redundancy etc, are really a matter for your Trade Union. If you are not a member of a Trade Union, you can find out about your employment rights from agencies such as the Citizens Advice Bureau. For further information visit the Jobs and Careers page on the Council website.
Immigration
In general, any immigration matter needs expert advice before any involvement by the MP. Citizens Advice Bureau also offers an advice service on immigration problems. For more information, please click here or contact the UK Immigration Advice Centre on 07908 682781.
Legal Matters
Unfortunately I am not able to offer legal advice. Legal matters, for example disputes with firms or individuals, criminal cases, domestic law, complaints against the police, are not usually matters for an MP. It is important to seek special legal advice in these cases or contact the Citizens Advice Bureau. The Community Legal Advice service is useful resource.
Travel
Any travel queries concerning rail should be directed to National Rail Enquiries. For issues relating specifically to flights from Gatwick Airport it is best to visit their website or call directly on 0844 892 0322.
Crawley Conservatives
Crawley Conservative Association plays an active role in Crawley politics and organise a social programme for their members, supporters and friends. To get in contact or to find out more information visit their website.
Parliament: www.parliament.uk
This website holds information about Parliament itself as well as the capability to find what's on today, track current bills, keep up with committees, watch live and recorded feeds of proceedings, access public records and follow topical issues. It is also a main port of call for the latest published Parliamentary papers, including transcripts of all debates and all recent committee reports.
