Demolition to make way for The Beehive
The demolition of the former Burgess Hill RBL building to make way for a new community centre and arts venue could start later this spring.
Burgess Hill Town Council has already secured the first tranche of a £4.8m loan in order to deliver The Beehive project in Cyprus Road.
And a decision by Mid Sussex District Council on amendments to the original planning approval is currently being awaited.
The former Royal British Legion building would be demolished and a new community centre and arts venue would be built in its place.
The Beehive is designed as an attractive modern building with an internal layout that can be quickly reconfigured for a range of uses.
A core element is the theatre, a characterful and inviting space with seating set on an upward slope and two galleries, capable of hosting shows for up to 300 people.
Town council leader Robert Eggleston gave an update on the project to the annual town meeting earlier this month.
The council is seeking a company to carry out the demolition works and this could start as early as May and be completed in July.
Then the project would move on to work on the detailed technical design for the build itself.
Mr Eggleston explained at some point in the year they would also go through a cost re-evaluation exercise.
This was because not only had the world been plunged into a pandemic causing supply chain issues, but the war in Ukraine had also significantly affected ebnergy and building material costs.
More information on the project is available on the project’s website at www. beehiveartscentre.com