Quiet streets of the Gatwick ‘ghost town’

Businesses in Crawley fear thousands of job losses at Gatwick Airport could cripple the town centre and devastate their livelihoods.

Analysis by the aviation union Unite predicts more than 6,000 people based at the airport – employed directly by the airport, airlines, or in supply chains – have already lost their jobs or are at risk of redundancy since the beginning of the pandemic.

It warns the nearby town of Crawley could be adversely affected without urgent government support if Gatwick continues to be left a ‘ghost town’.

Many workers at the major international airport live just three miles south in the West Sussex town and could move elsewhere when seeking a new job.   

Pub owner Tania Lawrence told MailOnline she has been forced to make seven staff redundant as footfall continues to plummet.  

Sweet shop owner Janet Ashby said job cuts had ‘hit the town hard’, adding: ‘There’s nothing in it for us anymore so we’ve been left with no choice but to close.’

Inside the town’s shopping centre County Mall, there are already seven empty units with shutters permanently down on big names like Laura Ashley.

Fashion brands Monsoon, Accessorize and Moss Bros all also remain temporarily shut with no indication of when they will open due to the pandemic.

Elsewhere in the town centre, 13 shops are sitting empty with stalwarts like Game, Carphone Warehouse and Mothercare all moving out and not yet replaced.

And local business owners fear the sight of vacant shop fronts will become even more common as Gatwick slash its staff. 

Crawley MP Henry Smith, who also chairs the cross party Future for Aviation group, said: ‘Crawley is going to be one of the worst affected communities nationally because of its heavy reliance on the aviation industry which was one of the first to be affected (by Covid-19) and will be one of the slowest to recover.

‘Job losses have been and will be for a while significant.

‘And I do think sadly we are going to have a second wave of aviation redundancies.

‘We’ve had an eneamic at best summer period which has kept some jobs in the industry going and of course the coronavirus job retention scheme which comes to an end in October.

‘But I think we will see, as we go into the lower season for aviation and furlough coming to an end, further redundancies which will of course have an impact on the town.

‘If people are out of work, they’ve got less money to spend and won’t be going out as much frequenting retail outlets.’

Mr Smith has spoken to local businesses with job vacancies and believes people made redundant may need to explore different lines of work.

He added: ‘For some people it might mean reskilling away from jobs in the aviation sector to different kind of work.

‘The number of work coaches at Crawley job centre has been more than doubled to give really specific training and employment advice.

‘Never the less that’s only going to help so much.’

The Future of Aviation group is advocating a ten point plan of recovery and support for the aviation sector, with one request being that furlough continues for workers within the industry until next March.

Mr Smith continued: ‘To be fair to the government they are facing an unprecedented challenge.

‘Their package of measures is greater than any other European nation but that being said, there are still some jobs that will be very difficult to save.

‘If people aren’t flying because they arent able to or are too afraid, the airlines will and are finding it very hard to keep staff on.

‘That’s why the group I chair is calling for an industry specific extension to the furlough scheme.’

The manager of the White Hart pub is used to witnessing bustling Tuesday nights on the High Street when staff at Gatwick would hit the town for their weekly drinking session. 

Tania Lawrence, 47, said: ‘We rely on the airport for our business. Tuesday nights used to be mad and for my 29 years working in bars it was always classed as airport night.

‘Staff would come out in huge numbers and let their hair down but now it’s deadly quiet as they just aren’t working. There will be even less staff when these cuts come in. 

‘And the job losses at Gatwick have already impacted footfall. The town’s dead and it’s going to affect it really badly.

‘If you work at Gatwick, you probably live in Crawley. So we will probably have a lot of people moving away from the area soon.

‘I think a lot more shops are going to close. We’re losing a few already in the Mall with Debenhams going.

‘Plans to open a nightclub have been shelved and two High Street restaurants and a bar have already shut. We are all suffering. It’s quite sad really.

‘It’s all business and if you haven’t got the customers, then you don’t need the staff. We’ve had to make seven of our staff redundant.’

Janet Ashby opened P & J Sweets Delight with her husband Paul five and a half years ago but will be shutting up shop for good on September 13.

She said: ‘Coronavirus has hit us very hard. It has been so quiet and we’ve just had no customers coming in.

‘There’s nothing in it for us anymore so we’ve been left with no choice but to close.

‘A lot of people working at the airport live in the town so losing all those jobs is going to be devastating for businesses in Crawley.

‘I can see even more shops closing because of it. 

‘We are not going to be the last to shut especially with Gatwick making more cuts. 

‘It’s going to hit the town hard.’

Owner of the Love Bean Cafe Ivona Mihalova, 44, believes the town is yet to feel the full impact of the airport’s job cuts and the worst is yet to come.

She said: ‘At the moment we haven’t felt too much of a difference from what’s going on at Gatwick.

‘Many workers are still on furlough but when that ends in October and the cuts come in, we will see just how hard it will hit us.

‘We are getting by at the moment but I think when these jobs are lost, it may be devastating.

‘Thousands of people may no longer be residents of Crawley and might not be popping into their local cafe before or after work.

‘It will definitely make footfall in the town decrease a lot in what is already a hard time for us all.’ 

Gatwick Airport already announced plans to axe up to 600 jobs last month in a ‘significant restructure’ after feeling the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on passenger and air traffic numbers.

The airport is operating at around 20 per cent of its capacity and has around 75 per cent of its staff on furlough.

Consultations have begun with staff over redundancies, as it prepares to cut up to 24 per cent of its workforce.

Unite regional officer Jamie Major said: ‘Prior to the pandemic Gatwick was a thriving community but unless the government provides direct support the airport faces becoming a ghost town. 

‘The huge job losses are now causing a domino effect with non-aviation employers in Crawley and the surrounding area being affected, which is likely to lead to further job losses.

‘Even where work has been preserved many employers have cut hours or rates of pay creating further misery.

‘Responsible employers have introduced temporary measures while the unscrupulous have made such cuts permanent, in the expectation this will boost profits when the industry recovers.

‘If the government does not provide long-promised financial support to the sector further job losses are inevitable.’ 

Gatwick Airport Chief Executive Officer Stewart Wingate said at the time: ‘If anyone is in any doubt about the devastating impact COVID-19 has had on the aviation and travel industry then today’s news we have shared with our staff, regarding the proposed job losses, is a stark reminder.’