Ready, set, go! Council drives ahead with plans for multi-million pound sports centre

- 26/06/2023

Ready, set, go! Council drives ahead with plans for multi-million pound sports centre

Cabinet councillors at Mid Sussex District Council agreed on Monday 26 June to push ahead with plans for the Centre for Outdoor Sport project.  

 

The multi-million pound sports centre will be situated on nine hectares of land to the west of Burgess Hill and will include facilities for various sports including football, athletics, cricket, and rugby. The development is just one part of a wider strategy to invest in leisure and outdoor spaces across the district over the coming years. 

 

The next stage of the work will see Mid Sussex District Council procure a delivery partner for the project.  

 

Councillor Chris Hobbs, Cabinet Member for Leisure and Customer Services, said: “We are delighted to move ahead with the next phase of work for the Centre for Outdoor Sport. This will be the largest single investment in sports provision in Mid Sussex for a generation and it is fantastic that the council has secured nine hectares of land, as well as the funding to deliver the project. 

 

“This is only one part of our plans, we also have six major green space projects underway and a plan to deliver more improvements across the district and I can’t wait to see our communities enjoying these new spaces.” 

 

Funding for the project is being provided by developer contributions to ensure essential infrastructure improvements are delivered alongside the Brookleigh development in Burgess Hill. The land for the facility is also being gifted to Mid Sussex District Council for free as well as ongoing revenue contributions.  

 

Extensive consultation with the local community, local sports clubs and national governing bodies has determined the mix of facilities which will include:

  • 1 x floodlit 3G football turf pitch
  • 4x grass football pitches (varying sizes for different age groups)
  • 1 x regulation 22 world rugby compliant artificial turf pitch
  • 1 x artificial wicket and cricket pitch
  • 60m running straight to align with the existing Green Circle 

The plans also include parking infrastructure, changing rooms, a club house, and pitch side viewing areas.  

 

The next phase of work will see detailed architectural and engineering designs developed before the submission of planning applications. The current timeline would see the facilities ready for use in Summer 2024.  

 

For further information about the project, please visit: https://engage.midsussex.gov.uk/cfos