Save Clair Hall campaigners call on Haywards Heath Town Council to reconsider need for drop-in session

The event takes place at Haywards Heath Town Hall on Boltro Road from 3pm to 9pm next Tuesday (August 10).

It comes as Mid Sussex District Council runs a 12-week public engagement initiative ending on September 19.

People can take part in this independent public consultation by visiting the hub at engage.midsussex.gov.uk/clair-hall.

In a letter to the Mid Sussex Times Colin Kenward said Haywards Heath Town Council is not part of the consultation process on the future of Clair Hall.

He said the independent consultation is being carried out ‘under the instruction of Mid Sussex District Council by ECF’.

“The only official channel for the public to share their thoughts, ideas and proposals relating to Clair hall are on the engagement website,” he said.

Colin said Haywards Heath Town Council made its views clear on Clair Hall at a meeting on September 21 last year by agreeing to the permanent closure of the venue and supporting the building’s demolition.

He also said the town council cannot consult publicly to change its stance or views.

“If any result of this event is fed back into the independent public consultation it would, I fear, distort any overall findings presented by ECP,” said Colin.

He said the Save Clair Hall group have made a representation to the town clerk asking for the town council to reevaluate the need for the event to go ahead.

Town mayor Howard Mundin responded: “The town council has not advertised the drop-in as part of the independent consultation.”

“To clarify, the town council is a consultee not the consulter and is asking residents and groups to reply to the independent consultation directly,” he said.

He went on: “Haywards Heath Town Council via the town Mayor and deputy mayor as our civic leaders are inviting residents to speak about the Future of Clair Hall in line with the consultation questions being asked, specifically to help refine its response.

“The objective is to refine and present the town council’s response in terms of future needs, service provision, suggested improvements to the site, as the independent MSDC led consultation is not merely about the building itself.

“Moreover, there are three questions that the town council has made no comment upon previously.”

Cllr Mundin said the information collected from the drop-in session could help inform the town council’s final response to the independent consultation, which will be taken through a formal town council process, for adoption in September by Full Council.

“For the absence of doubt, residents are encouraged to submit their formal comments to the consultation directly to ECF who are managing the independent consultation,” he said.