Council's town development plans - are they worth 4000 extra houses?

There are currently three public exhibition sites around Burgess Hill for you to view proposals of future town development plans. There is also an opportunity to complete a questionnaire, giving your feedback on the plans. The question is, what will the town development cost? And where will the funding come from?

You can view the proposed town development plans here. A number of planned improvements are listed, including improved cycle routes, new community buildings, a Town Square and a new business park.

You may well wonder how this will be funded in such a tight economic climate. The Council states 'In the absence of public funding, the Town Council and its partners at Mid Sussex District Council are in the process of seeking new investment in Burgess Hill. They consider that improvements to the town can still be delivered if combined and financed through new residential development in Burgess Hill.'

Later on in the proposed plans, it is documented that the town benefits would cost in the region of £40 million. And how many new houses may be required to help fund this? 4000. The draft plan highlights which areas of Burgess Hill are potential new residential building sites, and includes mainly the north and east of the town.

You can visit the exhibition at the Burgess Hill Town Council Offices at 96 Church Walk from 9am-5pm Monday-Friday until 4th March. Staff will be at hand to answer questions and you can pick up a questionnaire to complete. Additionally, exhibitions will be at The Triangle on Saturdays until the 5th March (questionnaire but no staff) and  the Market Place Shopping Centre from 9.30am-12.30pm on Saturdays until 5th March.

If you already know what you think about these plans and wish to forward your feedback to the council, you can complete the questionnaire online here.

What do you think about these plans?