Minutes:
1) Question from Councillor Samantha Smith:
There has been much speculation in Burgess Hill as to New River’s intentions for the town centre and concern that only the residential aspects of the planning permission would be built, which would be unacceptable to me and the residents of Burgess Hill.
Could the Leader of the Council please explain whether it would be the case that New River could build a residential-only development and outline any safeguards the council has in place.
Response from Councillor Jonathan Ash-Edwards
Thank you for the question.
I can reassure you and Burgess Hill residents that the Council has safeguards in place to protect the delivery of the commercial aspects of the scheme therefore eliminating any opportunity for the developer to build only the residential elements.
The Planning Permission includes a condition which requires an implementation programme for the whole development to be submitted and agreed in writing by the Local Planning Authority prior to any work commencing on the site. The condition then requires that the development must be carried out in accordance with this approved programme.
In addition the Council has safeguards in place in its position as the Freeholder as the current lease would not allow a residential only scheme to be built.
The Council continues to encourage New River to explore all opportunities to deliver on their planning permission and deliver on the promises they have made to the people of Burgess Hill.
Councillor Smith asked a supplementary question noting that the town centre has been a mass of decaying concrete, unsightly fencing, and hording. She asked if the area could be improved even just temporarily with an urban pocket park noting that this would not only bring in colour with grass instead of concrete, planting and also benches. It would improve this part of the town centre and inject a feeling of social improvement and wellbeing
The Leader noted that whilst everyone wants to see New River deliver the redevelopment of the area, there is a need to improve the appeal and usability of the old library area in the short term. He noted that pocket parks are small urban parks providing access to green space and improved public realm in the heart of towns and are sensible way forward and provided an undertaking that the Council will explore that further.
2) Question from Councillor Paul Brown:
Given that Scrutiny Committee for Housing Planning?& Economic Growth meeting on 19th January 2022, agreed to set up a working group to examine the Draft District Plan 2021-2038 and the plan has been paused, would the Chairman of the Scrutiny Committee agree that Terms of Reference should be prepared and that this working group should be formed without further delay with the express objective of?firstly?scrutinizing? the amended policy sections of the Draft District Plan??
Would not progressing the scrutiny of policy amendments in the Draft District Plan be a sensible approach, avoiding further delay, whist this Council wait for?housing?numbers?to be confirmed by the Secretary of State??
Noting that this Scrutiny Committee did not meet on the scheduled date this month of 16th March 2022 and has not had any opportunity to debate or set a work programme and has not met to scrutinize any substantive matter since meeting on 20th January 2021, (when the Haywards Heath Town Centre Masterplan SPD was considered), would the committee chairman advise why this scrutiny committee has been effectively closed down???
Response from Councillor Neville Walker:
As you know at the meeting of the Scrutiny Committee for Housing, Planning and Economic Growth on 19th January 2022, the Committee resolved to defer discussion of the District Plan Review so that further work and consideration can take place and the outcome of change to any Government policy is known.
It also agreed that the Committee established a working party to review: the evidence for the proposed housing allocation in the Draft District Plan 2021-2038, the fundamental alterations to 10 major policies in the current District Plan and the addition of 6 new policies, and the appropriateness or otherwise of including the sites identified for development in the Plan, in whole or part and report its findings to the next appropriate meeting of the Committee with recommendations for adoption by the Committee and Council.
This work is ongoing and we have not yet received a response from the Secretary of State.
Officers are reviewing the timetable for the District Plan Review. A revised Local Development Scheme setting out a revised timetable will be prepared and discussed by Cabinet in the coming months.
As you know Scrutiny Committees only meet when there is business to consider. There has been no business for this Committee therefore has not met, it has certainly not been ‘closed down’. It will meet when there is business to consider.