 Up To 20 Year Wait For Martlets Hall Replacement With No Money Currently Available To Pay For It
19th November 2015
By Peter Chapman
You need to be sitting down for what you're about to read....
At a public meeting last month, Cllrs Pru Moore and Andrew Barrett-Miles
revealed details as to how much money the Martlets Hall is being sold for and how the venue will be replaced.
How Much Is The Hall Being Sold For?
With NewRiver Retail wanting as much land as possible to redvelop the Martlets Shopping Centre, It had been expected that the sale of the Martlets Hall would fetch a sum of around £4 million. However, Cllr Publicity Pru Moore has revealed that there will be no lump sum payment for the Martlets Hall.
Instead, NewRiver Retail will be paying more for their head lease to Mid Sussex District Council. How much is extra? £100k per year or maybe just £1? We won't find this out until 2016 once their planning application is approved. You can be pretty sure that the people of Burgess Hill won't see any additional council services come out of this arrangement.
Replacement Hall Could Be 20 Years Away
At the meeting, Cllr Andrew Barrett-Miles conceeded that it could take 20 years for the Martlets Hall to be replaced - but wants it to happen 'As soon as possible' He didn't give an answer when challenged by a member of the public that 'as soon as possible' could mean the full 20 years. Another speaker said that 'As soon as possible won't cut much ice in this room'
Public Expected To Fund New Martlets Hall
 Burgess Hill Town Council have gone from issuing the public a cast-iron guarantee of controlling £80 million from the proceeds of the Northern Arc and east of Kings Way
housing developments to actually controlling £0.
(For a full explanation, read Myth #5 here)
Andrew Barrett-Miles is now in a position where MSDC will need to be begged to throw us some money to pay for a replacement Martlets Hall. This is the same MSDC that commissioned a report that concluded that our town does not need a replacement, so things aren't looking good on that front.
However ladies and gentleman, Andrew has a brilliant back-up plan!...... WE the public can apply for grants to have a new state-of-the-art facility....... or just get the money together to do up the inadequate Royal British Legion building that Burgess Hill Town Council said in April was NOT a replacement for the Martlets Hall.
Why Do We Keep Putting Up With This?
Now read: 5 Things The Council Aren't Telling You About The Burgess Hill Neighbourhood Plan
Spread the word, the public need to know about the Martlets Hall Replacement Shambles.
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 Got an opinion on this story? Leave a comment below.....
How do you feel about there being no major lump sum payment for the Martlets Hall? Do you think we'll ever get a genuine replacement over the next 20 years?
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