Proposed new retail park is welcomed

Multi-million pound plans for a retail park in Broadbridge Heath have been largely welcomed by members of a West Sussex County Council scrutiny committee.

The council is proposing to spend £15.47million to build four new units on its highways depot next to Tesco, just off the old bypass.

If all goes as planned, they will include a discount food store, a DIY store and garden centre, a drive through takeaway restaurant and a coffee shop. The site was declared surplus to requirements in 2018 and is designated for commercial and retail development in the Horsham Local Plan.

During a meeting on Wednesday January 20, Jeremy Hunt, cabinet member for finance, called the scheme ‘a very exciting project and investment the county council can be proud of ’.

Some concerns were raised, though, about the impact such a park would have on businesses in Horsham and Crawley town centres – and whether the idea of encouraging people to drive to an out of town site fitted with the council’s climate agenda.

While recognising that the council could expect a good return for its investment – £1m per year – Liberal Democrat group leader James Walsh was conflicted. He said: “We are well aware that town centre retail is in decline – and that’s been accentuated heavily by the Covid emergency – and yet here we are talking about the possible expansion of well out of town centre retail facilities that would have a negative impact, in my view, on Horsham town centre retail and possibly other places as well.”

Labour leader Michael Jones agreed, adding: “It’s not much of an economic regeneration if the council is damaging the businesses that are already in the area.”

Mr Hunt, though, stood firm, pointing out that the shops planned for the site would not be suitable for a town centre.

He said: “I think it’s time we grew up and looked at our town centres and realised that they have got to change dramatically to survive.

“If we didn’t regenerate this site and sold it, then somebody else would do exactly the same things and somebody else would make the profit and they would be the same people there.”

A report to the committee said four retailers had agreed Heads of Terms – an agreement in principle, though not legally binding – over leasing the new buildings for up to 25 years.

A planning pre-application is due to be submitted to the Horsham District Council this month.