Developers, consultants and businesses large and small are sought to support Mid Sussex to complete the next stages of its ambitious Growth Programme.

Cllr Stephen Hillier, Mid Sussex District Council's Cabinet Member for Economic Growth, Sally Blomfield, Mid Sussex's Divisional Leader for Planning and Economy, Graham Hyslop, Projects Director - South, Homes England, put out the call for interest at the recent Real Estate Live Conference.

Representing more than £1bn of investment and delivering over 5,000 homes and 15,000 jobs, Mid Sussex's pioneering Burgess Hill Growth Programme which includes Homes England's flagship development at the Northern Arc, will provide new schools, neighbourhood centres and employment space, as well as embedding transformational infrastructure from sustainable travel to gigabit fibre digital connectivity.

Graham asked that any developers, consultants, small developers and SMEs interested in the Northern Arc to make sure they had become members of the relevant Homes England panels so they could bid, adding that funding and loan assistance could be available for smaller companies if they needed additional investment for specific sites.

Cllr Hillier said that there was a steady pipeline of commercial and housing opportunities coming online through the district and urged interested companies to contact the local authority and attend MSDC's next Real Estate Live session, in June, when he was expecting to be able to announce the details of the planned 43ha (130,000 sqm floorspace) Science and Technology Park.

Sally added that Mid Sussex will also be looking for delivery partners for sites where it was the landowner.

"We recognise that the outcome is very important, so we will be really careful to make sure we select suppliers and organisations who can clearly deliver the projects in a way which will benefit people and the community".

Representing more than £1bn of investment and delivering over 5,000 homes and 15,000 jobs, Mid Sussex's pioneering Burgess Hill Growth Programme which includes Homes England's flagship development at the Northern Arc, will provide new schools, neighbourhood centres and employment space, as well as embedding transformational infrastructure from sustainable travel to gigabit fibre digital connectivity.

The Burgess Hill Growth Programme grew out of a community visioning exercise and Sally Blomfield Mid Sussex's Divisional Leader of Planning and Economy, told delegates at the recent Real Estate Live conference that Mid Sussex had focused on ensuring it was delivering for its current residents as well as i future ones, from the multi-million-pound major infrastructure schemes to the smaller community infrastructure projects.

The network of green walking and travel corridors as well as much of the major infrastructure had been designed in collaboration with local community groups and highways experts to ensure it was as accessible as possible, and the district authority is also in negotiations with Network Rail about upgrades to the town's two main stations to make them more accessible.

Sally Blomfield said: "The programme isn't just about the big-ticket items, it's about the soft community infrastructure too, new playgrounds, new community facilities and enhancing the green circle, the network of open space which surrounds Burgess Hill. There are benefits for all, including the replacement library in the heart of the town centre which has become one of the most popular libraries in the whole of the county."

Chris Founds Director, CJ Founds Associates, discussed the social value embedded in the scheme, including its apprenticeship programme, working with local schools in particular on STEM activity and legacy awards around tech and sustainability.

"There has been a lot of work around inclusivity on the digital side too, working with social enterprises and the voluntary community, funding digital champions to deliver training for elderly residents and those who haven't had access to digital kit," he said.

Mid Sussex's Burgess Hill Growth Programme is one of the most ambitious, complex and pioneering inward investment projects taking place in the UK today. 

Created by community visioning, it will see the town grow from a population of 30,600 to more than 45,000 in a decade, delivering homes, jobs, schools, parks, green space and technical innovation to build economically successful and sustainable neighbourhoods.

Sally Blomfield, Mid Sussex's Divisional Leader for Planning and Economy, told delegates at the recent Real Estate Live conference that partnership working and buy-in at all levels had been key to delivering the community's vision.

"This is a big, ambitious project by anyone's standards, with community visioning at its heart. Our community said they wanted new communities, but supported by the necessary infrastructure, with local employment opportunities and access to green space.

"However, we are a relatively small district so with an ambitious project like this partnership is the key to success. Having Homes England as a key delivery partner provided the power to unlock the land ownership issues and the finances to deliver infrastructure early whilst our partnership with West Sussex County Council with their responsibilities for highways and education continues to be critical. Our Local Enterprise Partnership, Coast to Capital, were fundamental to funding key pieces of infrastructure, including a network of sustainable transport routes and enhancements to the local wastewater treatment works. We couldn't have done this without them all as well as our local communities who were engaged and consulted along the way."

Sally explained there was a comprehensive governance programme which involved all parties in decision-making and ensured a joined-up approach to the complex delivery programme which could see up to 20-30 interdependent projects live at any one time.

Graham Hyslop Projects Director – South, Homes England said: "No one can do a project of this scale as an individual entity – to achieve the objective we have to work together. And the real benefit is that we are all travelling in the same direction, it has been very much an open-door attitude working with Mid Sussex."

After 15 years in the making, the first residents to make Burgess Hill's 20-minute neighbourhood their new home are due to move in this Spring.

After 15 years in the making, the first residents to make Burgess Hill's 20-minute neighbourhood their new home are due to move in this Spring.

A multi-million-pound investment has put Mid Sussex at the pioneering edge of delivering ground-breaking high quality digital and transport infrastructure to create 20-minute neighbourhoods.

Chris Founds, Director, CJ Founds Associates, told delegates at the recent Real Estate Live conference that Mid Sussex is undergoing a digital revolution as it approached completing its own public sector fibre network that is connecting the district not just locally, but also to existing clusters in Crawley, London and Brighton as well as nationally and internationally.

And the district's 'one-dig' policy had enabled much of the fibre installation work to take place at the same time as delivering a network of sustainable active travel corridors at Burgess Hill, joining together the town's residential areas with the town centre, key employment sites including the planned 43ha (130,000 sqm floorspace) Science and Technology Park, rail stations, open space, shops, leisure schools and healthcare facilities.

"Sometimes infrastructure can feel like it is bolted on, but here strategic investment has meant it is successfully embedded from the very beginning in our 20-minute neighbourhood concept," said Chris.

He added that the advantages of the authority creating its own public sector-owned fibre network, that is managed through a co-operative, included being able to connect to any provider, enabling local businesses and communities to get immediate gigabit connectivity; ensuring competitiveness in the market and being able to make the region attractive to small start-ups who would be able to get immediate connectivity and invest in their own networks.

He said that the new network will immediately pick up locations such as the town's business parks and connect them to the planned Science and Technology Park, as well as the wider world.

Mid Sussex's Burgess Hill Growth Programme, incorporating the 20-minute neighbourhood concept, is leading the way in merging economic and sustainability strategies to create a genuine 21st century community.

But the all-encompassing scheme, which appears designed to meet post-pandemic needs with its diverse mix of housing, employment space, town centre regeneration, active travel, gigabit fibre and impressive infrastructure investment, is no recent innovation. It springs from a 15-year vision created with the local community to develop 'sustainable communities' and for Burgess Hill to become a fully sustainable 21^st century town.

As 2022 sees the first infrastructure projects completed and the first new residents preparing to move into their new homes, the Growth Programme is setting new standards in modern neighbourhood living.

Speaking at Real Estate Live, Cllr Stephen Hillier, Mid Sussex District Council's Cabinet Member for Economic Growth, said: "The concept of a sustainable community was baked into our strategies long before the pandemic pushed it up the agenda, encouraging a greater appreciation of the sense of community. Our strategy always understood the value of being able to live locally, connected within 20 minutes of most essential needs by walking or cycling, including employment opportunities, education, shopping, green space and leisure activities.

"However, this requires a diverse range of housing, including affordable, and access to good jobs, countryside and the digital connectivity which can reflect the technological advancement that is changing the way upcoming generations go about their lives.

Homes, schools, transport and digital infrastructure connecting communities to create exciting opportunities in the south of England 

An inward investment campaign promoting the opportunities in one of the UK's best places to live and work has been launched by Mid Sussex District Council.

Opportunity Mid Sussex looks to attract investment and business into the District by showcasing the district's economic potential alongside its rich culture, heritage and natural capital.

Based in the exceptional natural landscape of the South Downs and the High Weald area of outstanding natural beauty just to the south of London Gatwick, Mid Sussex already has a strong and growing economy with existing clusters in engineering and advanced manufacturing, MedTech, Life Sciences, Agri-Tech, computer games development and multi-media software development.

The district is already benefiting from significant investment, including the £1bn+ Burgess Hill Strategy Growth Programme, which aims to deliver 5,000 homes and 15,000 jobs, including Homes England's flagship project to provide a new community with schools, neighbourhood centres, and employment space while simultaneously embedding transformational infrastructure, from sustainable travel to pioneering gigabit fibre digital connectivity.

Councillor Stephen Hillier, Mid Sussex District Council's Cabinet Member for Economic Growth said "Mid Sussex is a vibrant and attractive District, we are innovative in our thinking and work hard to ensure we balance the protection of our environment with the social well-being of our communities and the sustainable growth of our economy."

A spotlight will be on Mid Sussex this month with the district promoted to investors and developers as part of a programme of events at the Real Estate Live UK conference.

Mid Sussex - A sustainable, connected community in the making, takes place at 11.30 am on February 22, and will give delegates an insight into how the district is creating a sustainable, connected and economically successful community in the heart of one of the UK's most attractive places. You can book to attend here.