Tesco Expansion Turned Down, More Retail Units To Come?

During a chaotic December, you may have missed the news that Tesco have officially withdrawn their application to extend their store by 50%. This followed a report which indicated that Tesco's plans would likely have a detrimental impact on Burgess Hill Town Centre.

The cynics among us may think it could be more a case of New River Retail and MSDC being told by Sainsbury that they won't come to Burgess Hill Town Centre if they have to compete with an even bigger Tesco. Thus a report is produced to essentially tell Tesco NO! A good 18 months after the plans were first revealed.

A week later the local newspapers reported that developers Location 3 Properties have "Entered into conditional contracts to acquire the freehold and long leasehold interests on a site fronting Jane Murray Way, in Burgess Hill.


Two major retails have been penciled in to occupy the 55,000 sq ft space with Location 3 properties claiming to have submitted a planning application to Mid Sussex District Council in November 2011. A browse through the MSDC planning portal website however shows no search results for the application. If an application has been submitted and gets approval, around 100 new jobs would be created.



It seems a DIY store is a certainty to be built, along with hopefully a good electrial superstore. If not, a Toys 'R' Us would go down a treat!

In your author's humble opinion, all of this seems very convenient with the timings, Tesco doesn't get its extension which would have included a bigger offering of electrial items, and then a week later a company announces that it will be bringing in some retail units essentially next door, which could very well include electricals. Hmmmmmm.

What do you think readers?

Burgess Hill Christmas Parking Lacks Christmas Spirit.

Last week we received a copy of the email that Burgess Hill resident Chris French sent to the Mid Sussex Times regarding Mid Sussex District Council's amazingly generous offer of £1 for all day parking in the two least popular car parks in town on Saturdays.

Chris was questioning whether £1 was really a good deal considering most people only need to shop for a few hours which would cost £1 anyway. He raised the question of why £1 for all day parking didn't apply to the Multi-Storey Car Park at the Martlets and the ones in Cyprus Road and Church Road which prove much more convenient for shoppers. Thirdly he suggests that MSDC should have made parking free on Saturdays in all the MSDC controlled car parks.


Thankfully the Middy chose to print Chris' letter along with a reply from MSDC's John De Mierre....
The Town Councils and District Council want to support businesses and residents, and allowing all-day parking in the long-stay car parks means that shoppers can do so at their leisure for just £1. We all need to shop locally and keep the district's economy strong.

Clearly a rather pathetic response, not at all addressing the questions raised by Chris French. I guess John De Mierre couldn't give any answers as he didn't have any which would sound logical, so he avoided them all together.

Lets face it, the council didn't bother making it free parking or extending it to the car parks closer to the shops as they wouldn't be able to ticket cars that stay parked too long. If anything, their '£1 all day parking scheme' will make the Council extra money as the Car Parks in Station Road and Queens Cresent are barely used. Its funny that Mr De Mierre says that We ALL need to shop locally to keep the economy strong, yet the Council really haven't done anywhere near enough to entice shoppers both locally and from out of town to want to visit Burgess Hill. Local shops rely on strong Christmas trade to keep them afloat. We're always hearing about these tough economic conditions, yet the council only seem to have made a move which will benefit them and not the local traders or shoppers.

Bravo Mid Sussex District Council. You really do care.

Have a look -- Google 'Free Christmas Parking' and you will find many Council's which are bothering to support local shops.

Oh Dear! Mayor to switch on Christmas Lights

Burgess Hill's Mayor, Christopher Thomas-Atkin (the one we didn't get to choose) clearly thinks alot of himself, for on December 1st at 6pm its been decided that he is the best person to be switching on the Burgess Hill Christmas lights in order to draw local residents into the town centre.

Christopher Thomas-Atkin's role these days is to promote the town, whereas the juicy work is handled by Andrew Barrett-Miles as the council leader.

Can someone please explain how the Mayor switching on the lights is a good way to draw people into town for this festive event? Burgess Hill is not a tiny little town anymore. Such an event needs some sort of a celebrity to be switching on the Christmas lights.

How difficult is it to pick up the phone or to send an email to potential candidates? At the very least some squad players from Brighton and Hove Albion with a few of the Gully's Girls could have been lined up.

Kings Lynne with a population only around 25% bigger than Burgess Hill are having both Letitia Dean AND the X Factor's Johnny Robinson turning on their lights. We get the Mayor.

So, its a choice between the Simpsons on Channel 4 at 6pm on Thursday 1st December or to go into town to watch the Mayor turn on some lights.

Mid Sussex District Council's Community Toilet Scheme

There are good ideas, bad ideas and then there are the totally crap ideas (Pun intended)

Last year Mid Sussex District Council discussed the possibilty of giving discounts to businesses in East Grinstead if they made their staff toilets available to customers.

Clearly the council believed this to be a brilliant idea as they've now extended it across the whole of the district. It's the 'Community Toilet Scheme'

The council think that in these 'Tough Economic Times' if a shop in Burgess Hil Town Centre lets customers use their toilet facilities, it could lead to more sales.

For example, pop into Burgess Appliances to use their toilet and pick up a washing machine on your way out. Do they think that's really going to happen? Really?

Why would the council want to use rate payers money to encourage shops to make their toilets available for public use when the people of Burgess Hill are very much well provided for already? Public toilets next to the library, the fine facilities in the MarketPlace Shopping centre. The council are even going to offer cafes a financial insentive to make their existing customer toilets available for public use!

Surely shoppers in town would feel a little awkward about going into a local business, using the toilet and NOT buying anything in return? As above though, why would shoppers need to when there are plenty of public toilets available anyway. Arrrrrrrgh!

Our council tax could be put to better use when the funds at MSDC are being severly cut by central government.

Is there any willingness from shops in Burgess Hill to want to take part? Will the efforts required even be worth the saving on their business rates? Owners would have to ensure their toilets are always kept clean. The need to keep a very close eye on who is coming and going out the back. It could pose a rather big risk to the staff and their stockrooms! Who knows what sort of weirdos would love to take advantage of going 'behind the scenes' in our local shops.

Unsurprisingly its our favourite councillor Pru Moore quoted in the council's press release.....
“The scheme has the potential to benefit both the public and the local businesses taking part. Local shops are able to increase the number of people visiting their premises, giving them the potential to increase revenue and the public will have a greater choice and standard of toilet facilities.”

Thanks for that Pru. What will you come up with next? Shutting down another leisure facility perhaps that doesn't affect you.

District Council spending more on leisure in Haywards Heath than Burgess Hill?

Have you ever thought that Haywards Heath is getting more public money spent on leisure facilities than Burgess Hill?

In recent times Victoria Park has received an enhanced Skate Park, plans are in place to fit a fancy new splash pool for the kids and not so long ago some extra outdoor exercise equipment has been installed to complement the gear already in the park.

St Johns Park doesn't have even one piece of exercise equipment, let alone being able to benefit from additional pieces! Why are the people of Haywards Heath allowed a helping hand in getting fit for free yet not the Burgess Hill residents? This is an outrage (said in the voice of Tony Harrison from the Mighty Boosh)

Below is a picture of the MSDC cabinet members and our wonderful MP 'enjoying the new equipment' in Victoria park.
For copyright purposes (and for a bit of a laugh) I have photoshopped the heads of the EastEnders cast onto Pru Moore, Big Nic Soames, Jonathan Ash-Edwards and Gary Wall.
You can see the original photo and news story here

Now, is the reason for Haywards Heath possibly benefiting in leisure expenditure over Burgess Hill down to the members of the MSDC Cabinet having a Haywards Heath bias?

Lets take a closer look at the people that compose the Mid Sussex District Council Cabinet.
Leader: Gary Wall - Hawards Heath,
Head of Finance: Jonathan Ash-Edwards - Haywards Heath
Economic Development: John de Mierre - Haywards Heath
Planning and Regeneration: Gary Marsh - Balcombe (close to Haywards Heath)
Health and Community: Christopher Snowling - Lindfield (Right next to Haywards Heath)
Leisure and Sustainability: Pru Moore - Burgess Hill

6 cabinet members, only 1 from Burgess Hill. Says it all really doesn't it?
(Poor East Grinstead by the way)

There is a comment facility below. Local councillors do read this blog. How about you communicate with the people you represent for once and reply.

If there are no replies, then we shall take it that there is indeed a favouritism on the council with Haywards Heath receiving more money than Burgess Hill.

Prove this blogger wrong!

Burgess Hill Conservatives FUDGE the numbers

It's always very exciting when one of the political parties posts one of their newsletters through the door of the Burgess Hill Uncovered offices. The June edition of the Conservatives 'intouch' publication was full of them blowing their own trumpet following their clean sweep in the Victoria Ward, which of course included the election of ANSTY's Emily White (what were you thinking voters?)

There was the usual "We'll work hard for everyone, blah blah blah" nonsense as well as....
"It's very important that Councillors remain in touch with the local area"

Well here's a CRAZY idea for your Victoria Ward councillors, how about you spend a few minutes a week maintaining a blog between yourselves and let us know what you are all up to, and what's happening in our town. The latest on the Orion cinema perhaps and what you're doing for the people to ensure that Sainsbury stays away.

Now, the main reason for this blog entry, and this really does take the cake...

WOW! The Conservatives hold every seat on the town council. Incredible! Those that don't closely follow local politics would read this as being factual.

Here's some more 'facts' for you: All girls are silly, Haywards Heath is better than Burgess Hill, Councillors always act in the best interests of the public.

You're welcome!

Stand aside Publicity Pru, It's all about Mandy now!

There has been a change in the media whore stakes since the May elections. The new poster child for the Conservatives appears to be Mandy Thomas-Atkin.

'Publicity' Pru Moore must be devastated, Since becoming the cabinet member for leisure and sustainabilty, barely a week would go by without Pru's face being thrust upon us, but now it seems that Mandy has pulled rank in her role as MSDC Chairman and will be taking on the publicity duties.

Here are just some of the photos in which Mandy has appeared in recent weeks:

I think we'll invite Mandy round to the Burgess Hill Uncovered Offices for the grand opening of a toilet seat.

It's rather boring seeing 'high profile' councillors pictured in the local press at various events. Does anyone actually care that they attend? Why not get in some pretty girls(and boys) instead? What's with all those stupid chains that councillors wear around their necks? It's a rather dated thing, are we supposed to think that they are royalty and treat them accordingly?

With Mandy's husband Chris conveniently being the Chairman of Burgess Hill Town Council, expect to see this 'power couple' pop up all over the local media over the next 12 months *yawn*

Can we have Pru Moore back please?

Burgess Hill's Cinema Will Be Knocked Down

The Orion Cinema in Burgess Hill is not long for this world. Soon it will disappear (probably)

Since Cllr Gary Marsh broke the news that Mid Sussex District Council have been in talks with Sainsbury regarding the land at Cyprus Road Car Park, not a single councillor has come forward to calm the fears that the Burgess Hill residents could be about to lose one of its very few prized entertainment venues.

We have many newly elected councillors, you'd have thought they'd jump at the opportunity to prove their worth to the local community by vowing to do all they can to try and stop the cinema being knocked down. The Save the Orion Cinema Facebook Page has over 2,500 members, it wouldn't take much effort for a councillor to join up and post a message on the wall.

Why haven't they come forward? Perhaps its already a done deal and thus they don't want to come out in support of the people, knowing whatever they say will be in vein. Additionally, with the council being very blue, it would be unwise for fellow Conservatives to rock the boat by speaking against their own party.

The general consensus seems to be that Burgess Hill does not need another supermarket. So why are talks with Sainsbury taking place? How is it in the public interest? We elect councillors to serve us, to speak up for us. Seemingly this is not happening.

Worryingly, some people on Facebook seem to think that the Orion can just refuse to sell. If only it were that simple!

Since MSDC own the land, they could make a very attractive financial offer for the Orion to give up their lease, and as we know, money does talk. If the Orion do refuse, then MSDC can probably envoke some sort of compulsary purchase order. A number of Facebook group members have shared their observations that the Cinema is quite empty during their visits, others have pointed out that they've not visited the venue in years. Its these comments that make it seem that a financial payoff could be happily accepted. That is unless Mr Orion Cinema is very rich.

What grates the most is how Cllr Gary Marsh from Balcombe is involved in talks regarding the future of Burgess Hill. What should he care if the cinema disappears? He doesn't live in the town.
When the issues are town specific, it should be the town councils that have the final ruling, and NOT MSDC.

All in all, its a confusing time for local residents, the lack of news isn't helping. Cllr Marsh drops a bombshell, yet no follow-up to explain the state of play, and silence from the councillors that should be fighting our corner.

Maybe there is nothing to worry about at all. I doubt it.

Get your Nectar cards ready.