Burgess Hill Lib Dems and Greens form partnership on eve of May’s elections

The two parties have pledged to work together for the benefit of the town in three key areas: environmental protection and development, holding developers to account over the pace of change in the town and open and transparent government.

The Conservatives are the dominant political party at Mid Sussex District Council and Burgess Hill Town Council, with just one opposition Lib Dem councillor sitting on both authorities.

In a joint statement Joe Foster, local Lib Dem chair and Anne Eves for the Green Party, said: “We want to show the town that it is possible for two political parties to work constructively together and fight for the improvements that the town deserves and is crying out for.

“The Tories have run Burgess Hill Town Council and Mid Sussex District Council as closed shops for too many years even though they only get a minority of the votes. As a result open government has suffered and any criticism of their decision-making is treated with contempt.

“We want to change all of that for the good of the town. You only have to look at some of the poor decision-making and lack of progress over the last four years to know that it is time for a change.”

The Liberal Democrats and Green Party have agreed to work together in three key areas:

Environmental protection and development

o Provide further support for the Green Circle Network and all our green spaces with a greater focus on biodiversity and schemes to protect vulnerable animal and bird species

o Consult on low-carbon community transport schemes to better connect towns and villages and to reduce traffic congestion in town centres and on-street parking in residential roads

o Campaign for safe provision for cyclists especially on routes to schools, and measures to slow traffic on certain residential roads

o Push for sustainable design in any new housing, to include renewable energy generation, anti-flood measures and wildlife-friendly features

o Combat waste: explore extending recycling to food waste; support schemes to eliminate single-use plastic and set up a repair café in Burgess Hill

o Resist further housing development outside of the district plan area (e.g. south of Folders Lane).

Rebuilding communities and the local economy

o Deliver a replacement for the Martlets Hall which the town’s Tories gave away

o Consult on schemes to improve trading activity in Burgess Hill, for example by introducing a town discount card or Town £

o Revive the Burgess Hill Town Centre Partnership which the Tories put on hold to deliver initiatives to attract trade and secure a better share of grants to support independent Burgess Hill businesses

o Hold the developers to account for the slow pace of change in Burgess Hill’s town centre and pressurise them to deliver the project to an agreed timetable

o Provide disability toilet facilities in the town centre

o Get a greater share of grant funding from Mid Sussex District Council by establishing an independent, not-for-profit town team and use these grants fairly across the town

o Provide additional support to the town’s community groups across all age groups and abilities.

Open and transparent government

o Make decision-making more transparent

o Involve residents in the policy-making process by consulting more regularly

o Extend the scope of the right of residents to ask questions at Burgess Hill Town Council meetings

o Restore trust in the planning process

o Treat all media outlets equally even if they are critical of council decisions.

The joint statement added: “Having a strong contingent of Liberal Democrats and Greens on Burgess Hill Town Council and Mid Sussex District Council will be a breath of fresh air providing just the sort of ‘grown-up politics’ that Burgess Hill and Mid Sussex needs. We are not just a partnership between two parties but a partnership with the town’s residents.”