Conservative Council plans to dump new housing on Burgess Hill

Mid Sussex District Council seems intent on imposing the bulk of the housing required under the government's housing targets onto Burgess Hill, having issued a press release outlining its favoured sites without consultation or discussion with any of the district's three town councils. It proposes 3,800 or 82% of the identified houses to be built to the north and north west of Burgess Hill (the 'Northern Arc'), as well as 570 houses on land to the west of East Grinstead (Imberhorne Farm) and 275 houses at Hurst Farm, Haywards Heath.

The Conservative controlled 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, therefore it only identifying a five year supply of land for new housing development. However rather than sharing this lower target around the district it is proposing to dump the bulk of the new housing onto Burgess Hill. This relates to just one of 49 sites considered by the council.

All political parties on Burgess Hill 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 council's past record and current financial problems, it is questionable whether the district council has the political will to ensure the necessary investment in infrastructure that will be needed for the new housing.

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