Leaders of a town said the coronavirus lockdown could trigger an "employment catastrophe" in a part of the UK that is predicted to suffer the biggest economic hit from the pandemic.
More than 50 per cent of jobs in Crawley are at risk of being lost or furloughed, said a recent report.
The town’s MP and the leader of the borough council, Peter Lamb, called on the Government in a letter to take rapid action and “ensure that Crawley’s amazing economic success, built up over many decades, is not lost in a matter of weeks”.
Mr Lamb said the West Sussex town located close to Gatwick Airport, generates £124 million in business rates each year for the Government.
The letter states: “It is quite clear that the impact of the Covid-19 crisis on the national economy and indeed the world economy is unprecedented.
“However, due to the business sectors located within the town, and the proportion of local jobs and economic output from these sectors, Crawley is undeniably being hit far harder than any other part of the United Kingdom.
“These sectors include aviation, transportation, retail/wholesale, leisure and hospitality, all of which are likely to continue to struggle long after the lockdown is lifted.”
It is feared that up to 57 per cent of the town’s workforce could be made unemployed, the letter says in reference to a recent Centre for Cities report.
The letter continues: “It is critical that the Government takes urgent action, working with Crawley Borough Council and other local and regional stakeholders, to draw up, fund and implement a programme of targeted economic relief and investment in the town.”
Mr Lamb added: “We’ve been helping the public purse for decades – it’s now time for the Government to repay that help.”
Local Tory MP Henry Smith said: “The Crawley and Gatwick economy has been an undoubted success story for many years but the Covid-19 pandemic threatens to negatively impact the area perhaps more than any other UK-wide.”
