On May 26th 1995, Vail Williams opened its doors at 9 The Boulevard in Crawley for the first time as the Rt. Hon. Nicholas Soames MP cut the ceremonial ribbon. At the time, the property consultancy had eight other offices in Berkshire, Hampshire, Surrey and West Sussex.

Their Crawley office was led by Peter Ross. The firm’s focus was on commercial property work across Sussex and along the M23 corridor, concentrating on Crawley / Gatwick, Haywards Heath, Burgess Hill, Redhill and Reigate.

Some 30 years and three new Regional Managing Partners later, Suzanne Holloway, who became regional managing partner in 2024 following in the footsteps of Danny George and Peter Sudworth, takes a trip down memory lane.

Reflecting on Vail Williams’ role as part of the fabric of the local community, Suzanne, said: “We started with three people, and one of our first instructions after opening in Crawley in the 1990s was as joint letting agent for a Wilson Connolly development proposed for the Crawley High Street.

“The 45,800 sq ft Town Mead office development represented just the start of what would become a successful property practice, which has seen our team and service offering grow significantly ever since.”

Today, Vail Williams’ Crawley office at Peveril Court is home to around 20 people, with a wider VW family of 180 colleagues who provide a broad range of property advisory services to occupiers, landlords, investors and developers of commercial and residential property – from planning and building consultancy expertise, to business rates advice, commercial agency and more.

“I think the breadth of our advisory services has proven to be a competitive advantage as we have grown, enabling us to become involved in many major development schemes over the past three decades,” Suzanne continues.

As a result, the firm has built strong relationships with a range of regional stakeholders, from local councils and major lenders to institutional investors, developers, landlords and occupiers, enabling them to play an instrumental role in shaping the future of Crawley and the wider Gatwick Diamond region.

Some of the firm’s more recent projects have included acquiring land and delivering major developments at Manor Royal, which supports the Manor Royal Business Improvement District, now home to over 700 businesses.

Vail Williams also assisted Surrey County Council in acquiring land and securing planning permission for two high-quality office buildings at Manor Royal, helping major occupiers and investors to come to Crawley, including one of the top aviation academies in the UK, Acron Aviation Academy, and the South East Coast Ambulance Service headquarters.

They also provided planning, acquisition and development advice to radiotherapy solutions specialist Elekta for its 110,000 sq ft flagship home at Manor Royal, following a 4-year design and build project.

Partner, Andrew Osborne, who has been with Vail Williams for 29 of its 30 years in Crawley and retires this year, added: “It has been a pleasure to be involved in the work we do here, and in the surrounding region. Not only does it underpin the development of Crawley, but it also ensures we build on and develop skills for the future too.”

The latter is of great importance to Vail Williams and has seen them play a notable role in the delivery of educational facilities in the area. The company secured planning permission for new educational facilities for Chichester College Group’s STEM building and a brand new facility at Crawley College—the Sussex & Surrey Institute of Technology (SSIoT), which is currently under construction.

Suzanne adds: “As we celebrate our 30th year here, we do so with an immense sense of pride in the role we have played in developing Crawley and promoting inward investment from businesses into the town, working in close partnership with the Manor Royal BID, the Crawley Town Deal Board, as well as local authorities including West Sussex & Surrey County Councils, and Crawley Horsham and Mid-Sussex at Borough and district level.

“But it’s not just about pride or our legacy in some of the major developments, buildings and occupiers here. Our firm is founded on relationships built on trust, and our people have developed some incredible, collaborative relationships - both with our clients and our wider professional advisory family, without whom we could not do what we do.”

As Vail Williams looks to the future, it does so with excitement and anticipation, particularly ahead of the decision on the northern runway at Gatwick Airport due in October, which will further shape the region.

Suzanne concludes: “We will be carefully monitoring the impact of this and other new developments for our clients. In the meantime, we really feel that we are part of the fabric of Crawley, and I hope this will continue to be the case for many years to come. We look forward to making the most of the opportunities that lie ahead – both for us as a firm and for the area.”