Council to discuss long-awaited town centre revamp

Council to discuss long-awaited town centre revamp.

A planning committee in West Sussex will meet to discuss the future of a town centre revamp that was first proposed nearly two decades ago.

The £65 million redevelopment of Burgess Hill’s “largely empty” Martlets Shopping Centre will include new stores, a cinema, bowling alley, gymnasium, hotel, and 172 flats.

Plans for the site have stalled and been redrawn several times since their inception in 2006, with the pandemic, a decline in retail trends, and a lack of funding all cited as reasons.

However, last year, Mid Sussex District Council voted to form a joint venture with developers to finally get the project off the ground.

The scheme, which aims to “revitalise the area socially, economically, and visually,” was originally approved in 2016. Back then, the vision was for a 200,000 sq ft (18,580 sqm) development with shops, a cinema, a hotel, five restaurants, 142 flats, a library, a gym, and over 500 parking spaces.

The much-loved Martlets Hall entertainment venue was demolished in 2019 as part of the project, which was later redesigned to be less “retail led” and more leisure orientated than before.

That version was approved in July 2021, but the plans currently before the council have been amended yet again.

Empty shops pictured at The Martlets Shopping Centre in Burgess Hill

Aside from a few letters of objection, many locals are eager for the work to begin. Terry Davies, a resident, said: “The centre used to be packed with shops, but it’s now mostly empty and filthy.

“We’ve been waiting so long for the redevelopment but it never seems to get finished.” Melanie Cuttriss added, “It looks terrible around here, so empty.

“There’s no reason to come down this way anymore. A cleaner-looking centre with some new shops would be ideal.”

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