Plans to build a block of 15 flats in Burgess Hill approved

The application for the three-storey block – phase 2E of the development at the former Keymer Tile Works – was given the thumbs-up by the planning committee on Thursday (November 2).

The council received more than 140 objections to the plans, largely because permission had been given in January 2017 to build a health centre on the site.

The meeting was told that, since then, ‘a significant amount of work’ had been carried out by developer Croudace Homes to market the site to health providers, with no success.

A report to the committee said it was ‘extremely disappointing’ that no health centre would be built on the site.

But it added: “Within Burgess Hill, Homes England, at the Brookleigh development, are offering, as a gift, the provision of a built healthcare building.

“This follows the requirements of the NHS strategic plan and will help meet the increasing demand for Primary Care in Burgess Hill.”

But David Eggleton, speaking in his capacity as a member of Burgess Hill Town Council, warned that the Brookleigh plans could ‘so easily amount to nothing’.

Concerned about ‘yet another false storm’ for Burgess Hill, he added: “We find ourselves with the very real prospect of [having] no healthcare facilities of any kind east of the rail line, with 300 new properties coming down the track.”

Chairman Gary Marsh shared the concerns about health provision in the town, adding: “The premise of this development, part of it, was health provision. But we can’t force the NHS to build.”

No matter how frustrating and disappointing they all found the situation, the committee could only deal with the application in front of them.

Officers recommended it for approval and the committee supported that advice, approving the plans by nine votes to zero with two abstentions.

The block will be made up of 14 two-bedroom flats and one one-bedroom. There will be 15 parking spaces, each with an electric vehicle charging point.

To view the application, log on to pa.midsussex.gov.uk and search for DM/23/0941.