All political parties on the Town Council have agreed a draft town plan which outlines strategic priorities for Burgess Hill, with the aim of promoting a positive future for the town based on acceptance of the need for some new housing, but only on the basis of bringing improvements to the area’s infrastructure which will benefit all the town’s residents. The plan will be refined in conjunction with the District Council’s draft Core Strategy and consulted on with local residents to get your views and feedback.Any new housing needs to be fully integrated into the existing town, with transport links to the town centre and phased development to ensure that the areas nearest the centre are developed first. The Town Council wants to provide not just houses but a community that provides employment and leisure opportunities, a vibrant town centre, and real options for using public transport.The plan is a manifesto of the Town Council’s aims for the future of Burgess Hill with the aim that it is incorporated into the new Core Strategy being developed by Mid Sussex District Council and will eventually be developed as a local plan under the District’s formal planning policies.Liberal Democrats fully support the plan, and want to see improvements to the town’s infrastructure flow from it, with specific emphasis on combating traffic congestion, improving public transport, and providing better leisure facilities. Crucially the resources need to be in place to be able to afford the infrastructure development required under the plan and is dependent upon the District Council not taking a soft option with developers, it needs to ensure all new housing makes a proper contribution towards local infrastructure development, whether they build one new house or one hundred. Key features of our vision for the future of Burgess Hill include: Ensuring new development contributes not just to the costs of its associated infrastructure but to that of the town itself, with the creation of a town fund to ensure the benefits of development are shared by all; A town centre to be proud of, any regeneration of the town centre should provide new shopping experiences that can attract and retain new shoppers, and include a range of leisure and civic facilities such as a new town square; the promised regeneration should not be used as an excuse to put off investment in improved facilities for the disabled and cyclists; A plan for tackling traffic congestion traffic flows within the town, including a programme of road improvements to limit the effects of congestion where possible, and an increased emphasis on the use of public transport, particularly between key points within the town; A new business park along the A2300 which will provide an easily accessible location for commercial development to form a key part of Burgess Hill’s plan for growth based on providing employment within the town rather than encouraging long distance commuting; Promotion of the green circle and green pathways into the town centre, protecting the existing nature reserves and green spaces, and providing pathways and cycle way connections to the town centre; Upgrading facilities at the two railway stations, providing disabled access and a car park at Wivelsfield Station, and an improved transport interchange at Burgess Hill Station; Creation of a Country Park on part of the Keymer Tileworks site by using developer contributions to land swap linked to land east of Kingway using a joint development brief; Sustainable development with new housing built to the highest environmental standards including on site micro renewable energy generation where possible and new allotment A “Centre of Excellence for Sport” opposite the Triangle Leisure Centre and St Paul’s Catholic College, particularly to provide improved facilities for the town’s football and rugby clubs; Adequate open space allocated as part of any new developments using nationally agreed standards, providing play areas and green spaces.

See http://burgesshilllibdems.mycouncillor.org.uk/  for further information.