Mid Sussex District Council seems intent on imposing the bulk of the housing required under the government’s housing targets onto Burgess Hill without consultation or discussion with the Town Council – 3,800 or 82% of the identified houses are being proposed to be built to the north and north west of the town. This relates to just one of 49 sites considered by the council. The new houses would be on top of “windfall” housing sites which have not been specifically identified and could add several thousand additional houses to these totals in Burgess Hill over the period of the plan to 2026.

The Conservative Council is clearly hoping a change of government will mean it no longer has to meet the higher target of 17,100 homes imposed under the South East Plan and rather than share the strain of meeting even this lower target, it is proposing to dump the bulk of the new housing onto Burgess Hill. By meeting a target for five years supply of land for developers to build on, the Conservatives appear to be hoping to avoid making any hard choices, by dumping the bulk of these houses on Burgess Hill rather than sharing the strain.

All political parties on the Town Council have agreed to accept new housing in the town provided it is properly planned with the required investment in infrastructure, however massive growth to the north of the town alone would be lop sided, and given the Conservative councils past record and current financial problems, it is questionable whether the council has the political will to ensure the necessary investment in infrastructure that will be needed for the town.

Liberal Democrats want to protect the character of our town, and to ensure that new housing only comes with the required investment in infrastructure, to benefit existing, as well as new residents.