The joyous news came in mid-September that Burgess Hill’s proposed Beehive community centre and arts venue has received a massive thumbs up as the Town Council has now received approval for the £4.8m loan.
Earlier this year the Council consulted widely with the residents of Burgess Hill and received overwhelming support for the project to go ahead. Approval for the first tranche of £1.68 million has now been received. Provided satisfactory progress is made further tranches will be approved and released as the building is constructed.
Leader of the Council, Robert Eggleston commented, “this is tremendous news for Burgess Hill as approval of the £4.8m loan gives us the financial muscle power to deliver this key community project for the town. We can now also begin to look for other sources of funding so that we can either reduce the amount we borrow or look to deliver Phase 2 of the project at the same time as Phase 1. Whilst there is still a long way to go, we can begin to look forward with real confidence that The Beehive can and will be delivered.”
Following the news CommunityAd spoke to Robert Egglestone who as well as being leader of the council is also the man responsible setting up the Friends of the Beehive group, Robert sincerely believes in this project.
So, Robert, how long have you lived in Burgess Hill and what makes it such a wonderful community to be a part of?
“I moved to Burgess Hill in March 1989 making the short trip up from Brighton. The move from a city to a smaller semi-rural town was challenging at first because it wasn’t as fast paced but I soon learned that it had an amazing community spirit with lots of activities and I soon discovered that you could make lots of friendships in a smaller place very quickly. Burgess Hill has been, and continues to be, a great base and nearly everything I need is close by.
“One of the things I really loved about Burgess Hill was the Martlets Hall, a community centre and performing arts venue, which played host to loads of good amateur dramatic shows and professional performances as well as being a good town centre community hub. When the decision was made to close it in 2016 I was horrified especially as there was no plan for a replacement.”
Why do you believe the Beehive is essential for the town going forward?
“The Beehive, which is a Burgess Hill Town Council led project, is the plan to replace the Martlets Hall and will be a purpose-built venue that will support the needs of the town for many years to come. It will restore what we have lost and can be extended in future years to provide even more facilities. We have a shortage of community space in the town and, since the Martlets Hall was closed and demolished no real public space for the performing arts.”
What is the purpose of the Friends of The Beehive group and why should readers consider joining?
“Friends of The Beehive was set up as Burgess Hill Town Council launched its consultation on the plans for The Beehive. The Beehive is a registered charity and we are hoping that those who become “friends” will support the venue as it develops by attending events or volunteering their time to support it.
“The next important milestone after the loan approval will be the consideration of the application to approve demolition of the RBL building on 22nd November. We would then hope to demolish the RBL building in January 2022 with a view to commencing construction work in the spring of that year. The aim will be to open in late 2023/early 2024.”