As a prelude to an expected application to significantly expand the floor area of Burgess Hill’s  Tesco store,  an application is currently being considered by Mid Sussex DC for a retail kiosk located in the store’s car park, which would be occupied by Timpson’s – for “key cutting, shoe repairs, engraving and dry cleaning”.  Although only a 23 sq metre “pod” it does represent a potentially worrying expansion of the range of services offered at the site, which when combined with the expected application for a significant expansion of floor space at the store, could raise concerns at a possible threat to a healthy town centre in Burgess Hill.

Tesco’s design and access statement in its current application smugly announces under a heading of community involvement that no public consultation has taken place over the current application, but that “the proposal has, however, been subject to consultation at board level within Tesco and Timpson.”  It would be interesting to know how many of their board members belong to the local community!

The kiosk application is being considered by Burgess Hill Town Council Planning Committee tonight and will be decided by Mid Sussex DC in the next month or so – for details of the application see http://dc.midsussex.gov.uk/PublicAccess/tdc/DcApplication/application_detailview.aspx?caseno=KY90DMKT7O000  (planning reference 10/00484/FUL).