Partnership working, community engagement and long-term planning underpin delivery success

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."