Burgess Hill Town Council has been consulting on its proposals for a new town wide planning strategy to cover the next 20 years.  We want to see a high quality, vibrant and accessible town centre with improved community facilities, increased employment opportunities and access to leisure facilities and the green open space that we need.  There would be measures to tackle road congestion, promotion of the green circle network of green spaces linked by cycle and pedestrian routes, as well as promotion of sustainable transport with a rapid transit network between major locations in Burgess Hill. 

The measures would need to include provision for 1,200 social housing units with a mixture of housing types to ensure affordable housing is available for local families.  The plans would include a new secondary school and new primary schools, as well as additional recreation space and need to ensure that Bedelands Farm Nature Reserve is protected with enhanced management to enable it to cope with increased demand. 

Consultation has been taking place over the last five weeks, with a display of the proposals and Saturday morning consultation with town councillors, including next Saturday morning at the Market Place Shopping Centre.  You can download a copy of the consultation return from Burgess Hill Town Council website.

Some members of the Green Circle Network have raised concerns about the scale of the developments proposed, and its Committee is suggesting its members should express their opposition to the proposals, but town councillors would like the public to decide based on the detail of the plans not any carbon copy edict.  There may be real concerns about the threat to green field sites but we think the proposals protect specific areas of countryside surrounding Burgess Hill whilst directing new housing development to the most feasible sites.

See the Town Council’s response to the Green Circle concerns FOGCN – Letter to Green Circle Committee 21.02.11

Burgess Hill Town Council - consultation on town plan