Bromley Council is facing costs associated with a vacant unit at Tilgate Business Park in Crawley, contributing to a projected £755,000 shortfall on income from investment properties for the 2025/26 financial year.
Beyond the Tilgate Business Park vacancy, lease renewal negotiations with JD Sports and Lloyds Bank are expected to reduce rental income by £81,000 and £50,000 respectively. A further £81,000 shortfall is attributed to a vacant space at Part 2nd Floor – 20-25 Market Square.
The Executive considered the report on Wednesday 17 September 2025, which highlighted the financial challenges. The report, titled Letting and Sale of Property at Tilgate Business Park Crawley, is available on the council website here.
A significant portion of the overall shortfall is attributed to Unit 4 at Tilgate Forest Business Park, which has been vacant since August 2022. Since becoming vacant, the premises have been actively marketed by Stiles Harold Williams (Crawley Office). However, there has been very little appetite for leasing this type of HQ style office building
due to the increase in remote working. The report indicates that the property's location away from shops and local infrastructure, combined with an Article 4 Planning Direction, have made it even more undesirable to the market.
The report noted that the property is subject to an article 4 Planning direction, which restricts certain permitted development rights. The specific restrictions and their impact on the property's marketability are not detailed in the provided text.
To address the issue, the Executive has delegated authority to the Director of Housing, Planning, Property and Regeneration, in consultation with the relevant Portfolio Holder and the Director of Finance, to negotiate and finalise commercial terms for the disposal of either the freehold or leasehold tenure of the property. The report does not specify a timeline for these negotiations. The Assistant Director of Legal Services has also been authorised to sign and execute all necessary legal documents.
The Executive hopes that a letting or sale of the property will provide the Council with an immediate financial benefit of around £250,000 per annum, as the liability for holding costs will pass to the new occupier/owner.
