£6.5m to support new homes in Burgess Hill '˜tremendous news'

These are the words of Garry Wall, leader of Mid Sussex District Council, who has hailed the investment as ‘tremendous news’.

The Government announced last Thursday that it was investing £866 million in local housing projects to help get up to 200,000 extra homes built nationally.

The district council managed to secure £6.5million for Burgess Hill. Read our original story here.

The funding will enable works to be carried out at the waste water treatment works at Goddards Green, which will support the delivery of 256 new homes.

“Successfully securing this latest grant funding is tremendous news and is part of our overall programme to support the future growth of Burgess Hill,” said Mr Wall.

“Infrastructure funding is essential to ensure Burgess Hill grows in a sustainable way to benefit both new and existing households.

“This is our third successful funding bid and the money we have secured so far will pay for key infrastructure projects including improved transport networks.

“It’s important to remember that around 5000 new homes will be built in Burgess Hill over the next 15 years.

“We have been able to secure all this funding for infrastructure for the benefit of residents because of the strategic approach we have taken and the significant level of new homes that will be provided.”

The Housing Infrastructure Fund is a government capital grant programme for new physical infrastructure which will unlock local housing projects.

It is a highly competitive process with local authorities bidding against each other to try and secure funding for local communities.

The fund was significantly oversubscribed with bids of over £2billion for a pot worth £866 million, said a council spokesman.

Burgess Hill will is to undergo a ‘significant period of growth over the next 15 years’ with the creation of around 5000 new homes, new schools, two new business parks and a new town centre.

“Significant investment in infrastructure from the private and public sectors is required to carefully integrate the new developments within the town,” added the spokesman.

The £6.5 million grant is the latest in a string of successful bids to support the strategic growth of Burgess Hill.

The district council and West Sussex County Council have already secured £32 million from the Local Growth Fund to dual the A2300, and for transport and other infrastructure improvements in the town.

These schemes will be delivered by the county council. Read more here.

MP Sir Nicholas Soames has welcomed the investment. Read our story here.