Shops make way for £65million town centre regeneration

New moves are being made for the £65 million regeneration of Burgess Hill town centre.
William Hill Interiors in Burgess Hill will close soon. Pic Steve Robards SR1701028 SUS-170121-162325001William Hill Interiors in Burgess Hill will close soon. Pic Steve Robards SR1701028 SUS-170121-162325001
William Hill Interiors in Burgess Hill will close soon. Pic Steve Robards SR1701028 SUS-170121-162325001

Property developers New River Retail are planning to build new shops, flats, a 10-screen cinema, new library, restaurants and a hotel at The Martlets.

Planning permission for the major redevelopment scheme was granted last March and this week a spokeswoman for the company said that things were ‘progressing well behind the scenes.’

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A number of shops have already shut in the town centre to make way for the development and two more are set to close soon.

Furniture store William Hill Interiors is to close on Saturday and fashion chain Store Twenty One in Church Walk is to shut on February 4.

William Hill Interiors managing director Darren Jackson, in a sign in the shop’s window, said: “With the redevelopment looming, I feel the time is right for us to leave Burgess Hill, hopefully temporarily.”

He also thanked customers for their support over the past 20 years and reassured new customers that their orders would be fulfilled as normal.

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Meanwhile, the town centre regeneration is expected to take three to four years to complete.

As well as the cinema, the plans include 200,000 square feet of new retail space, a 63-bedroom hotel, 142 apartments, a new modern library and five restaurants.

New River Retail says: “The £65 million development will create a high-quality, mixed-use retail and leisure destination in the heart of Burgess Hill.” Stuart Mitchell, Director at NewRiver, commented:“This £65 million development will revitalise Burgess Hill, creating a thriving destination and retaining retail spend within the town. This much-needed investment in the town will bring with it a mix of uses, including retail, restaurants, leisure opportunities and homes. We also expect to see several hundred new jobs created as a result, both during construction and with the creation of the new retail and leisure offer. We have worked in close partnership with Mid Sussex District Council and the local community on these plans, and look forward to continuing to engage with them as we move forward with the redevelopment.”