Burgess Hill town centre regeneration: District Council’s £18.5m bid not selected in ‘devastating blow’ for town

The District Council expressed disappointment, saying this bid in the second round of the fund would have ‘resolved the viability challenges facing the regeneration’ in the current economic climate.

The council said it would have also helped deliver private sector investment into Burgess Hill.

MSDC leader Jonathan Ash-Edwards said: “With over 500 bids submitted we always knew it was a highly competitive process, notwithstanding the positive feedback we received from Government.”

He continued: “It is clear that we need a plan B to the LUF process and that is the work I will now lead.

“During the wait for an outcome to the LUF bid, we have continued to work with the shopping centre owners, New River REIT, to explore ways to improve viability in difficult economic conditions and secure the investment needed so redevelopment can take place. That work is complex and commercially sensitive but has been constructive. I will shortly call a summit of the key partners so that we can progress plan B at pace.”

Lib Dem councillor Robert Eggleston, leader of Burgess Hill Town Council, said: “This is another devastating blow for Burgess Hill, which has been suffering weeks of road disruption from the West Sussex County Council road scheme.

“I have always supported public sector investment in Burgess Hill’s town centre to kick-start regeneration, but the truth is that it has always been a long shot. That is why, year after year, I have called on Mid Sussex District Council to have a Plan B ready.”

Mr Eggleston said the district council had not done this, but he is pleased the need for a plan B has been acknowledged.

He added: “What really sticks in the throat is that back in 2016 and 2017, the Conservatives used the potential for a £65m redevelopment as a reason for closing the Martlets Hall. That grand scheme has been lost for good and the only people to have suffered are the residents of Burgess Hill who have had the heart ripped out of their town centre community. A Plan B should include funding for town centre community facilities to replace what was taken away.”

Burgess Hill town councillor and Mid Sussex District councillor Anne Eves (Green Party) said: “Green Party councillors pay tribute to the efforts of the community to compensate for the gaping hole left in the middle of Burgess Hill for the last four years. As we move forward to Plan B, we call on MSDC to stop waiting on the whim of an austerity government, to respect local democracy and give residents a say in decisions about the future of the town.”

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