UPDATES FROM THE LEADER
 Councillor Peter Williams Leader of Burgess Hill Town Council |
Peter will be using these pages to provide regular updates on projects, issues and topical matters of interest to Burgess Hill residents. He can be contacted using the details published on the ‘Town Councillors’ page. |
Happy Christmas and a challenging New Year? – Leader Update 15
As we come to the end of a busy year, I was going to devote this update to giving a few hints on what we are intending to do in the New Year, which I will do. However, my thoughts have been somewhat diverted by the publication, on 16th December, of the Government’s ‘English Devolution White Paper’; a far reaching reform of local government that will effectively abolish District and County Councils, to be replaced by Strategic Authorities or Combined County Authorities throughout England. This will be the first major change in over 50 years and I shall say more later, in this update.
First, let me wish you, on behalf of Burgess Hill Town Council and all Councillors, a very Happy Christmas and a peaceful and prosperous New Year. It has been a busy year, one in which we raised the bar on the events and services we delivered. We adopted a new strap line, ‘For a Better Burgess Hill’, which will be rolled out as time goes on. In 2025, we are going to do more; our events will be bigger and better, whilst maintaining our focus on excellence in everything we do.
There are two major celebrations coming up, VE80 and Rail200. Plans are being drawn up, using national guidelines, for VE80 in order for us to reflect and be grateful for the sacrifices that made ‘Victory in Europe’ possible in 1945. Similarly, we intend to commemorate the 200th Anniversary of the first passenger train that ran in 1825. Burgess Hill has a long railway history, being part of the London to Brighton main line, and we are thinking of ways in which this history can be portrayed.
I have spent a lot of time this year engaging with some of our town’s charities. It has been a humbling experience to witness the dedication of the staff and volunteers that help to run them. The work they do not only benefits individuals but also the wider community and I will be saying more about them in a future update.
We await more news about the Joint Venture between Mid Sussex District Council and New River Retail.. Although we may not yet have the firm plans, it is at least a bold attempt to get the redevelopment of the Martlets Shopping Centre under way.
Before I go back to the White Paper, I will repeat what I have said before in my previous Updates. Burgess Hill is a great place to live, with thriving business and industrial centres, easy access to road and rail networks and surrounded by stunning countryside. What makes it even better is the strong community spirit that pervades everything we do and long may it be so.
Now to the White Paper. You can access by clicking on this link
In summary, it means that Mid Sussex District Council and West Sussex County Council will disappear in name but they may not necessarily join forces because during 2025/26 their ‘partner’ councils will be determined by negotiation or by the Government, depending on what proposals are presented. It is most likely that the combinations in our area will end up initially being a Combined County Authority with the potential to be Mayor-led in the future. There is no doubt that the Government want these changes to be established as quickly as possible and a national timescale has been suggested:
Reorganisation proposals – to be submitted Autumn 2025
First Mayoral elections, where appropriate – to take place in May 2026
New Unitary Authorities – first tranche to be established in April 2027
– second tranche to be established in April 2028
Town and Parish Councils will not be included in these reforms but the Government intends to ‘rewire’ the relationship between those and the principal Local Authorities, strengthening expectations on what can be delivered. We shall await more clarity on this aspect of our future.
Finally, next year I shall be covering many more local issues, delivering the facts and endeavouring to keep updating them as changes occur. Please let me know if you would like any specific subjects to be covered.
END
It’s been a record year! – Leader Update 14
A record year doing what? It has been all over town, almost every month. It has brought fun and laughter and happy memories to thousands of Burgess Hill residents. It has been at the mercy of Mother Nature on some occasions. Enough clues? The answer is simple: EVENTS!
2024 has seen the Town Council deliver more than 50 events for residents to enjoy, ranging from Shakespeare to SEND activities, concerts to Wowzer Wednesday’s, tea parties to fayres and children’s theatres to Christmas lights. The list is long and has involved partnership working with many of our local organisations, who have provided invaluable support throughout the year. Read More…
Sussex Police, a force to contend with – Leader Update 13
Some questions for you; who remembers the ‘bobby on the beat’ in his or her helmeted uniform, quietly patrolling a prescribed patch and talking to the local folk? Or the Panda cars with their blue and white livery and some with a rotating blue beacon on the roof? Those were the days when crime was relatively slow moving; a time when a policeman could cycle to an incident or drive his Morris 1000 (or other types) across the town with blue light flashing. Read more…
Update on ‘It’s Christmas’ – Leader Update 12
One of the things that this Council has no control over is Mother Nature, who has deemed it necessary to send a storm (called Bert!) our way over this weekend. With heavy rain and strong winds up to 55mph forecast, our Community Team have been busy making alternative arrangements for the ‘It’s Christmas’ event.
Gazebos, stages and strong winds do not mix, neither do performers and singers in costumes! The safety of our community and the events we hold is our top priority, thus the changes we have made are with that safety in mind.
Here are the changes: Reed more…
It’s a Cracker of a Christmas! – Leader Update 11
With Christmas just a few weeks away, Burgess Hill will be buzzing with Christmas-themed events, starting on Friday 22nd November, when members of our Youth Council will be judging the ‘Best Dressed Window Competition’. This is a great way of involving our local shops and businesses in a Christmas challenge and by the look of things, they have pulled out all the stops this year. The winner will be notified on the day and will be invited to join the Mayor, on-stage, at the ‘It’s Christmas!’ show on Saturday 23rd November. Read more…
Thank you, Burgess Hill – Leader Update 10
It was an absolute privilege to march, as the Town Council Leader, with the services and youth organisations in the Remembrance Parade on Sunday 10th November. As we progressed down Church Road and into Church Walk, I was humbled by the incredible number of residents that had turned out to pay tribute to the 258 Burgess Hill lives lost in conflicts over the past 110 years. Parents, grandparents and carers came to see their youngsters in uniform and pay their own respects, others came because they knew, or were relatives of, some of the names on our memorials and some just wanted to say ‘We are grateful’’. Reed more…
Brookleigh Planning Applications – Leader Update 9
In my capacity as Leader of the Town Council, I receive regular updates from Homes England on the progress of the Brookleigh development, otherwise known as the ‘Northern Arc’. The latest was received on 18th October and is in the form of a ‘Planning Update’ booklet, which I want to share with our residents. Read more…
Autumn half-term events 2024 – Leader Update 8
It has become almost a tradition for Burgess Hill Town Council to put on a range of events for the benefit of residents, in particular our young people and their parents and carers. This year is no exception and a record-breaking 50 events have been planned between April 2024 and March 2025. Most of these are free to attend, a move that has been well-received.
The Council’s Community Team are now busy finalising the activities for the forthcoming half-term week (Monday October 28th – Friday November 1st). This includes the ever-popular Halloween Trail that has engaged a large number of shops in some spooky fun! Read more …
Why ARE stores and banks closing in Burgess Hill? – Leader Update 7
In recent months and weeks, Burgess Hill has been subjected to an unprecedented number of store and bank closures or ‘closing down’ intentions, giving rise to the impression that our town has driven them away. Various reasons have been put forward; lack of footfall, no reason to come to town or ‘why hasn’t the Council done more to stop them? Read more…
Update on the Updates – Leader Update 6
There have been a few changes since this series of Leader Updates started and I propose to make
‘Updates on the Updates’ a regular feature. Hopefully, most will be good news but you never know what is round the corner. Read more...
The saga of The Old Post Office, Station Road – Leader Update 5
Since Royal Mail vacated their old and outdated post office in Station Road nearly 20 years ago, the building they left behind has had a rather chequered history.
In 2008, a planning application was received by Mid Sussex District Council to construct 14 flats plus commercial units across the whole site, which included the old sorting office building at the rear and the parking area next to it. The application was approved but no progress was made and permission lapsed in 2011.
Read more…
Market Place Shopping Centre – Leader Update 4
The building that is the Market Place Shopping Centre is approaching 35 years since construction started and it is beginning to show its age, at least in those areas that are unseen by the public. Recent events in 2024 have highlighted the problems the Centre Management face, whilst at the same time trying to keep the building open for shoppers to enjoy.
Read more…
Risk Assessments – Leader Update 3
There has recently been much misinformation about the use of risk assessments and whether they can be overridden if they are an inconvenience the public. This is an opportunity to clarify what a risk assessments are and the purpose of them.
Read more…
Network Rail’s new ‘D-poster’ site in Keymer Road – Leader Update 2
In the Spring of 2024, there was much activity by Network Rail’s contractors to clear away the old wooden poster board site, perched on the embankment near the bridge in Keymer Road, opposite the railway station. It was in a state of disrepair, with rotten timbers making it unsafe for traditional pasted posters to be affixed to the boards. Besides, this was a labour-intensive operation, time consuming and using lots of paper in the process.
Read more…
Wivelsfield Station finally has funding for long-overdue modifications – Leader Update 1
On 24th May 2024, the Department for Trasport announced that Network Rail would be receiving a total of £350 million from the abandoned HS2 northern leg funding reallocation, to be used to progress the ‘Accessible for All’ national project.
Read more…