Bewbush

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Bewbush
Bewbush (West Sussex)
Bewbush

Bewbush shown within West Sussex
Population 9,081
OS grid reference TQ245355
District Crawley
Shire county West Sussex
Region South East
Constituent country England
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town CRAWLEY
Postcode district RH11
Dialling code 01293
Police Sussex
Fire West Sussex
Ambulance South East Coast
European Parliament South East England
UK Parliament Crawley
List of places: UKEnglandWest Sussex

Coordinates: 51°06′18″N 0°13′15″W / 51.1051, -0.2207

Bewbush is a neighbourhood of Crawley in West Sussex, England and is one of the town's 13 designated neighbourhoods. Bewbush is located in south west Crawley and is bordered by Broadfield to the south, Ifield to the north and Gossops Green to the north east. The neighbourhood has a population of approximately 9,000.

Contents

[edit] History

A park was recorded at Bewbush as early as 1295. It was a manor which later became known as the Holmbush Estate. The manor belonged for most of the twentieth century to the Clifton Brown family. In 1973, some 300 acres were purchased by Crawley Borough Council.[1]

The manor house was first mentioned in the early 14th Century, although this no longer remains. A building with some 17th Century elements remains, although it was clad in brick in the 19th Century.[1] The building now stands amid modern developments in the neighbourhood.

The borough council began development of the new neighbourhood of Bewbush in 1974, with a leisure centre opening in 1984, and a shopping parade the following year. Additional land was brought into the borough of Crawley from Lower Beeding in 1983 to see the extension of the neighbourhood to reach its capacity population of 9000.[2] Development of the neighbourhood continued into the 1990s.

[edit] Governance

Bewbush neighbourhood is a co-terminus with the local government ward of Bewbush in the Borough of Crawley. It is also a ward of the upper-tier authority of West Sussex County Council. The neighbourhood forms part of the parliamentary constituency of Crawley.

[edit] Demography

As at the 2001 census, the ward had a population of 9081. The neighbourhood has a yougner population than the national average, with some 77% of residents being aged under 45, compared to 60% nationally. This is also reflected in the average age of the residents at 29, compared to 37 nationally.[3]

Around 90% of the properties in the neighbourhood are terraced properties or flats.[3] The vast majority of the properties were originally council-owned, with over one-third remaining owned by the local authority of other social landlords.

There is an ethnically diverse population in the neighbourhood, with a large proportion (17.3%) of black and ethnic minority groups represented.[3] This is reflected in the areas large Hindu and Muslim populations which are both well above the national averages at 9% and 5% respectively.[4]

In terms of social classification, the neighbourhood is made up of approximately 45% in the ABC1 grouping, compared to the national figures of around 51%.[5]

[edit] Education

See also: Schools in Crawley, West Sussex

Bewbush is served by two Primary schools. The first school to open in the neighbourhood was Bewbush First School in 1978. This was shortly followed by Bewbush Middle School in 1982, with Waterfield First School opening officially in 1985.[6] The first and middle schools were closed in 2004 when the three-tier education model was amended, and a new school - Bewbush Community Primary School opened in the middle school buildings in September of that year. At the same time, Waterfield First School was extended to become Waterfield Primary School.[7]

[edit] Other Facilities

There is a Church of England church named for Saint Mary Magdalene in the west of the neighbourhood. At the neighbourhood centre, alongside the primary school is a Sure Start Children and Family Centre, a public house, a doctor's surgery and nearby a leisure centre. However, in March 2007, the local authority announced its intention to redevelop the area of central Bewbush. Plans would see the closure of the leisure centre and pub, with new medical facilities being relocated nearer to the school base.[8]

Public transport is provided by the Metrobus bus routes, which include the 24-hour Crawley Fastway guided bus route to the Crawley Town centre and Gatwick Airport

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Hudson, T.P. (Ed) (1987). "Lower Beeding: Manors and other estates". A History of the County of Sussex: Volume 6 Part 3: Bramber Rape (North-Eastern Part) including Crawley New Town. 
  2. ^ Hudson, T.P. (Ed) (1987). "Crawley New Town: Growth of the new town". A History of the County of Sussex: Volume 6 Part 3: Bramber Rape (North-Eastern Part) including Crawley New Town. 
  3. ^ a b c West Sussex County Council & West Sussex Public Health Observatory (2007). Bewbush Ward Profile (PDF). West Sussex Ward Profiles 2007. West Sussex County Council. Retrieved on 2008-02-17.
  4. ^ Religion (KS07). Neighbourhood Statistics website. Office of National Statistics (2001). Retrieved on 2008-02-17.
  5. ^ Approximated Social Grade. Neighbourhood Statistics website. Office of National Statistics (2001). Retrieved on 2008-02-17.
  6. ^ Hudson, T.P. (Ed) (1987). "Crawley New Town: Education". A History of the County of Sussex: Volume 6 Part 3: Bramber Rape (North-Eastern Part) including Crawley New Town. 
  7. ^ Director of Education and the Arts (2002). Crawley School Age of Transfer Report (PDF). West Sussex County Council. Retrieved on 2007-07-25.
  8. ^ Langley Green and Bewbush regeneration given go ahead. CBC Press Releases. Crawley Borough Council (2007). Retrieved on 2008-02-17.

[edit] External links