Burgess Hill town centre revitalisation: Mid Sussex District Council submits second £18.5m bid for funding

The council was unsuccessful when it applied during the first round of bidding in June 2021.

But since then, it has received positive feedback from Government officials, who said Mid Sussex’s bid scored highly compared to other projects in the region.

MSDC leader Jonathan Ash-Edwards said: “The District Council is determined to do what it can to support the regeneration of Burgess Hill town centre and this £18.5m Levelling Up Fund bid has the potential to kick start this much needed revitalisation project.”

The council’s bid focusses on three key improvements.

Town Centre (Martlets). The council said £13.2m could unlock a further £20m of private centre investment and transform 2.46 hectares of brownfield land into refurbished commercial floorspace, a hotel and 172 new homes. This would also generate about 650 jobs.

Public Realm. The council said £3.8m is needed to enhance the public realm along Church Walk, creating an attractive area for investment and improving sustainable transport links.

Digital Hub. The district council said £1.5 million will deliver a Digital Hub in the town, accelerating the connection of local businesses to Full Fibre infrastructure and supporting economic growth by bringing small businesses together in flexible workspaces.

The District Council said it is prepared to proceed immediately with the work if funding is secured.

Mr Ash-Edwards said: “The growth of Burgess Hill is being carefully managed, with excellent progress being made on the delivery of Affordable Housing for local people on the housing waiting list, new employment spaces to provide job opportunities, improvements to sustainable transport links and new public facilities.

“Homes England is working closely with us on the Brookleigh development, formerly known as Northern Arc and West Sussex County Council has supported the growth of the town by widening the A2300, delivering a new award-winning library and progressing with plans for an ‘all through’ Primary and Secondary School.”

“The one missing piece in the puzzle is the regeneration of Burgess Hill Town Centre,” he said.

“NewRiver REIT’s revitalisation project is clearly lagging behind the others, and I know it’s a source of frustration for residents, as it is for us as a council.”