Questions raised over solar panel scheme

The project aims to install solar panels on commercial buildings to reduce the carbon footprint of Crawley

A scheme to install solar panels on commercial buildings in Crawley is “at risk” due to delays in funding, project managers claim.

Bosses at Manor Royal Business Improvement District (BID) say they have been waiting more than six months to receive £985,000 from the Towns Fund to begin the project, which has been six years in the making.

A nationwide change in the rules detailing who can receive funding has meant Crawley Borough Council has delayed releasing the cash, as they reassess whether the project still qualifies.

A spokesman for the West Sussex local authority said new rules required “complex checks”.

Steve Sawyer, executive director of the Manor Royal BID, said his team had been working with the borough and county councils to purchase, install and operate solar panels on the roofs of commercial buildings to reduce the carbon footprint of Crawley.

“If we don’t get an answer soon, other areas who were a long way behind us will overtake us and, worse, the entire project could be put at risk," he said.

However, a council spokesman said the project was not at risk and that the Towns Fund could be spent up until March 2026.

“The council is accountable for this money,” he said. “The draft agreement is almost finalised. The one outstanding item is to ensure that the scheme is compliant with the new UK Subsidy Control rules about providing public funding subsidies to private businesses."