Support the petition against proposed DIY store on Triangle leisure centre site

The planning application for a proposed Homebase on part of the Triangle leisure centre site is ill-founded and unjustified - there is no demonstrative need for this development, which is an overdevelopment of the location, and conflicts with the existing planning policies for the Triangle site and for the town.

The application is not just for a DIY store, but a superstore that would provide a range of household and gardening goods, and would provide floor space equivalent to a third of the size of the proposed town centre redevelopment, which Mid Sussex District Council is meant to be championing. If this development went ahead it would be in direct competition with the town centre, but without the constraint of the increased parking charges that the town centre will have to bear under the Conservative administration's policies.

Local residents are rightly concerned this overdevelopment of the Triangle site could lead to increased overspill parking and congestion problems in the surrounding residential area.

A Burgess Hill Town Council commissioned report on the application lists a range of seventeen established planning policies that any application would overturn if it was approved by Mid Sussex District Council. It is disappointing that the District Council's appointed representatives, Thornfields, have seen fit to put forward these proposals that would be detrimental to the town centre redevelopment plans they are proposing on behalf of the Council.

The full specially commissioned from Planning Consultant Richard Walker can be found as an appendix to the agenda for the 6th April Town Council Planning Committee and forms a key part of Burgess Hill Town Council's objections to the proposal -

see www.burgesshill.gov.uk/file/HOMEBASE_REPORT_6apr09.pdf.">http://www.burgesshill.gov.uk/sites/www.burgesshill.gov.uk/file/HOMEBASE_REPORT_6apr09.pdf.

It remains to be seen if the District Council will put aside their commercial interest in obtaining capital receipts from the sale of the Triangle site, and put the interests of Burgess Hill and a thriving town centre first - having pre-empted their own review of leisure facilities in the District by allowing the land to be used for this purpose by Thornfields.

Liberal Democrats are supporting an all party campaign against the proposal helping to collect signatures for a petition - you can catch up with the campaign at:

9.30 - 12.30 - town centre - Friday 10th & Saturday 11th July

2pm- 6pm (and possibly also evening session) - Friday 10th & Saturday 11th July

9.30 - 12.30 - town centre - Tuesday 14th July

2pm- 6pm (and possibly also evening session) - local houses - Tuesday 14th July

6.30-8.30pm - local houses - Friday 17th July

Contact Anne Hotten:

22 The Hornbeams

Burgess Hill

Tel: 244080

Also: 6.30 pm at MSDC, Oaklands, Haywards Heath on Wednesday 22nd July to support the presentation of the petition; and

1.30pm at MSDC, Oaklands, Haywards Heath on Thursday 30th July to support the campaigners opposing the application at the Planning Committee.