FAQs

West Sussex County Council has identified that the county requires significant investment in new infrastructure to help stimulate economic growth, with Burgess Hill as a key growth location. The Mid Sussex Growth Programme will deliver new homes, jobs and new business space and the Place and Connectivity Programme will deliver the key pedestrian, cycle, public transport and public realm improvements to support the planned growth. 

The Western Gateway, Burgess Hill and Wivelsfield Station Improvements project has made pedestrian and cycling facility improvements through the key east – west town centre corridor, has created better connectivity between the station, town centre and wider area and improved the local public realm.

The scheme supports key development opportunities in the town centre and provides links to recently improved pedestrian and cycle routes and also to future planned improvements through both the Place and Connectivity Programme and the Northern Arc. The schemes reflect the aspirations contained within the Burgess Hill Neighbourhood Plan and the Burgess Hill Town-wide Strategy.

The Burgess Hill Place and Connectivity Programme (PCP) sits within the Mid Sussex Growth Programme and is considered as one of the most ambitious programmes in the region. The PCP element of the growth deal delivers a £21.8m package of transport improvements for the town centre that will create more sustainable transport infrastructure to improve connectivity, enhance public realm and reduce emissions.

These works are part of planned mitigations to create conditions for growth. The successful delivery and integration of identified new housing sites in Burgess Hill. The programme forms part of a number of key strategies listed below.

First image above shows - The Western Gateway and Burgess Hill Stations scheme extended from the B2036 London Road to the B2133 Keymer Road including Queen Elizabeth Avenue, Station Road and the Keymer Road roundabout and also delivered surface water drainage improvements in Queens Crescent.

Second image above shows - The Wivelsfield Station scheme extended from the Junction Road/Leylands Road junction through to the existing signalled pedestrian crossing to the west of the railway underpass.

Burgess Hill Station

This scheme extended from the junction of Station Road/Wolstonbury Way along Station Road to Hoadleys’ Corner and the Keymer Road. The scheme included the provision of shared pedestrian/cycle facilities, raised tables at minor junctions, public realm improvements at the Station, improvements to the station drop-off/taxi bays, pedestrian improvements at the Hoadleys’ Corner roundabout, provision of widened shared footway/new retaining wall and widened footway outside the Keymer Parade shops together with proposed Traffic Management Orders to support changes to local on-street parking provision. Links to wider pedestrian and cycling improvements were also provided.

Wivelsfield Railway Station area

This scheme extended from the Junction Road/Leylands Road junction through to the existing signalled pedestrian crossing to the west of the railway underpass. 

The scheme included the provision of minor pedestrian improvements to the junction of Junction Road/Leylands Road, public realm improvements, additional cycling and pedestrian facilities together with proposed Traffic Management Orders and linkages to wider pedestrian and cycling schemes.

Western Gateway/Queen Elizabeth Avenue

The scheme extended from the London Road/Queen Elizabeth Avenue junction and Station Road to the junction of Station Road/Wolstonbury Way.

The scheme included the widening of existing footways, amendment of the existing roundabout at the junction of Queen Elizabeth Avenue/Civic Way/Station Road to improve pedestrian/cycle access, relocation of existing signalled pedestrian crossings and conversion to Toucan crossings, provision of shared pedestrian/cycle facilities, raised tables at minor junctions, conversion of the existing mini-roundabout at the junction of Church Road/Mill Road/Station Road to a signalled junction with signalled pedestrian arms, public realm improvements, parking improvements and drainage improvements within Queens Crescent together with proposed Traffic Management Orders to support changes to local on-street parking provision. Links to wider pedestrian and cycling improvements were also provided.

Construction commenced in Burgess Hill town centre in July / August 2022 and at Wivelsfield Station in February 2023.  All works completed in early September 2023, with the exception of minor snagging.

The cost for implementing the Burgess Hill Western Gateway and Stations Improvement schemes is £4.67m which is funded through the Burgess Hill Place and Connectivity Programme. The funding for the Burgess Hill Place and Connectivity Programme was secured through a £10.9m grant fund awarded by the Coast to Capital Local Enterprise Partnership together with £10.9m match funding secured through developer contribution and direct delivery of supporting infrastructure by developers.

The funding for the Western Gateway and Stations Improvement scheme was awarded as a Local Growth Fund grant from the Coast to Capital Local Enterprise Partnership. The funding was specifically for the delivery of pedestrian and cycle improvements in Burgess Hill, to support the planned development within the Mid Sussex Growth Programme. The funding agreement requires the grant funding to be spent on the projects identified within the Place and Connectivity Programme and therefore, cannot be used to correct road issues in the area.

As part of the wider partnership delivering the Mid Sussex Growth Programme and the Burgess Hill Place and Connectivity Programme, West Sussex County Council are the lead authority for the Western Gateway and Stations Improvements scheme. West Sussex County Council have appointed Landbuild Ltd. as the main contractor for the delivery of the scheme.

The Burgess Hill Place and Connectivity Programme is being delivered through a number of linked projects over a timescale to reflect the current Mid Sussex Growth Programme. The Western Gateway and Stations improvements has provided links to recent and future pedestrian and cycle network enhancements in order to provide a comprehensive network for the town.

Further phases of the Burgess Hill Place and Connectivity Programme will be progressed, subject to ongoing stakeholder and public engagement.

As this project is complete, please report any flooding within the scheme's boundary as normal, using this link.

The scheme has resulted in several positive effects including:

• Improved place shaping
• Improved pedestrian access and disabled access to the stations through improved footways and raised table crossing of key side roads
• Greening of the area with trees and planting to create a pleasant surrounding
• Assist in urban regeneration around the station to help attract visitors to Burgess Hill and improve economic growth.

The Western Gateway and Station Improvements scheme is predominantly a highway and public realm improvement and seeks to improve the public realm and accessibility of the area around the railway stations and through the key east/west corridor in Burgess Hill. It is not believed that this will have any negative effects on customers or residents.

We are aware that during works like this traffic delays can take place, and this has an impact on the environment over the scheme delivery period. However, this scheme aims to improve environmental conditions for the town by creating improved walking and cycling routes to encourage the shift to more sustainable modes of transport. 

Surveys were also undertaken to assess and minimise the impacts of the scheme on the local habitat. In general, the scheme is not expected to have a significant negative impact on species or habitats along the route. If continuing work identifies species requiring protection, an appropriate mitigation plan will be developed to reduce the impact of the proposed improvements. Additionally, the proposals will introduce new trees and improved verges to the area.

Observation and monitoring of the signals at Station Road continue and findings demonstrate these are operating well.

Full details of the wider Streetworks taking place in Burgess Hill are available on the OneNetwork webpages, which can be found at https://one.network/uk. Please also be assured that all planned highway works are subject to consent of the County Council Streetworks team, who work hard to ensure the works taking place are managed to minimise disruption as far as possible.

The works at the roundabout were relatively modest comprising of minor kerb re-alignments to support continued shared use footways together with raised table crossings on the major arms. This provides priority across the junction and provides links to the wider pedestrian and cycle network.  

The roundabout improvements were designed to ensure there is limited impact on the operational capacity of the junction, while providing a safe cycling facility which connects Burgess Hill Station, past the town centre and to the biggest industrial estate in Burgess Hill (Victoria Business Park). 

It is also important to note that the works are an integral part of the wider Burgess Hill PCP phases and the Northern Arc / Brookleigh Mobility Corridors being delivered by Homes England.

It is acknowledged that the works have been progressed in the context of the following historic issues:

1. The roundabout has historically experienced intense but short-term congestion resulting from the operation of the adjacent McDonalds drive through.
2. There has been longstanding local stakeholder discussion regarding potential solutions to this congestion.
3. A number of stakeholders consider the PCP should be used to address this existing, short-term congestion (initial project investigations did review options to signalise / improve the junction but these were not deliverable in design / capacity terms).
4. WSCC Highways are clear that there is not a deliverable solution within the available public highway.
5. A comprehensive solution would require land adjacent to all four arms of the roundabout – including land in private ownership.

Notwithstanding these issues, it is important to note that the Local Enterprise Partnership Funding is legally ringfenced solely for the delivery of identified sustainable transport improvements supporting the Mid Sussex Growth Programme.

These known issues have been discussed at length between WSCC, MSDC and BHTC. It has been made clear to stakeholders that the scope / funding for the PCP cannot be used to address congestion resulting from a third-party commercial operation and that any solution would require third party land. 

The works will:

• not impact any future potential scheme that may be developed to address the congestion. 
• does not impact on the overall junction capacity; and
• would not preclude a wider project to assess feasibility, cost and land requirements to address traffic issues.

This part of the scheme links the recent improvements in Station Road with those in Queen Elizabeth Avenue comprising:

• Relocation and upgrades to the Station Road signalised crossing to allow for safe pedestrian and cycle links between northern and southern footways.
• Localised widening of the footways adjacent to the roundabout providing sufficient width for shared use.
• Provision of raised table crossings at the Civic Way and Queen Elizabeth Avenue arms to slow traffic and provide some priority to vulnerable road users.
• Provision of improved refuge islands on Civic Way, Queen Elizabeth Avenue and McDonalds / car park arms to provide priority and safety to vulnerable road users.
• Improved and refreshed circulation and ‘keep clear’ markings.

WSCC and their designers have always been cognisant of the short-term congestion experienced at the roundabout and have sought to ensure the proposed amendments to the junction do not result in any worsening to the existing operational capacity of the roundabout.

The scheme is an urban realm improvement project that focused on improved pedestrian and cycling facilities to encourage sustainable travel modes, facilitate modal shift and enable better management of peak demands.

Throughout the design stages, a number of options were considered, with a view to an improvement, within the constraints and scope of the programme. However, these options were discounted as they would not deliver any improvement on the wider network and / or would not be acceptable in reflection of highway design standards. 

The roundabout has historically experienced intense but short-term congestion resulting from the operation of local businesses. WSCC has discussed the issue and potential solutions at length with the relevant other Local Authorities however a solution is not deliverable within the available public highway. To resolve the issue would require use of the land adjacent to all four arms of the roundabout, including that in private ownership.

Further to this, the funding for the scheme is ringfenced by the Government solely for the delivery of improved cycling and pedestrian infrastructure in the local area to support the Mid Sussex Growth Programme.

A robust Governance Structure is in place for the Burgess Hill Place and Connectivity Programme within the wider Mid Sussex Growth Programme. This comprises of a Leader Board, Growth Board, Member Steering Group, Town & Parish Liaison, Programme Delivery and Project Board. All decisions are required to progress through the relevant local authority decision making processes.  

During planning, a public engagement exercise was also undertaken and comments received were considered and influenced the detailed design where practicable. A Public Engagement Report was produced summarising the results - for more information please click the link. Planning also comprised of a Traffic Study and surveys which were completed in 2020 using pre-pandemic traffic surveys and journey time data to reflect future use of the scheme.

The contractor was procured by West Sussex County Council through the appropriate tender procedures. Details of the governance can be found by clicking the link.

To access the designs, please click the links at the bottom of this webpage.

The schemes were designed to current relevant standards, guidance and best practice as appropriate.

Highway design (both preliminary and detailed) and any associated supplementary documents were prepared to deliver the key objectives and in accordance with Design Manual for Roads and Bridges (DMRB), additional/complementary West Sussex County Council (and others) design guidance as needed (including Manual for Streets 2, the West Sussex Cycling Design Guide and in consideration of government guidance on pedestrian and cycle infrastructure/Local Transport Note LTN1/20) and any other relevant guidance issued by the DfT and Local Enterprise Partnership. They also follow the WSCC’s Record of Practices (RoPes) and appropriate Quality Assurance processes (IS0 9001) of relevant H&T Framework Contract service providers.

These works are part of planned mitigations to create conditions for growth, and the successful delivery and integration of identified development sites in Burgess Hill. By successfully implementing these mitigations, sustainable delivery of the Mid Sussex Growth Programme can be achieved.

For more information, please click the link.

The proposed improvements are all contained within the existing highway. Nevertheless, we recognise that there are several interactions with neighbouring properties and developments which will require close co-operation and work with the appointed contractor.

At Burgess Hill Station, the scheme has resulted in the removal of four current on-street parking bays on Station Road between Mill Road and Grove Road. However, the removal of these bays was be addressed by the creation of five new on-street parking bays on Queens Crescent. 

At Wivelsfield Station, the scheme resulted in an increase in the length of pick-up/drop-off bays available for station users and a removal of approximately one space to the front of the Leylands Road parade of shops to provide for an improved crossing to the bus stop.

The existing taxi rank and pick-up/drop-off area at Burgess Hill Station was re-provided in its current location.

The crossings that were installed are consistent with guidance for crossing points that are within close proximity, to avoid confusion. There are two types of device that can be at crossings controlled by traffic lights - either audible ‘beeping’ signals or tactile signals, such as rotating cones. These devices operate when the 'green pedestrian symbol’ or ‘it’s safe to cross’ phase of the lights is displayed. Audible signals make a continuous beeping sound when it is safe to cross. For the safety of pedestrians, these are only provided at crossings which are away from all others or at junctions where the traffic in all directions is stopped at the same time. Tactile signals or ‘rotating cones’ are found on the underside of the push button control box and rotate when the 'green pedestrian symbol’ appears and it is safe to cross, these are in operation on site.

The Western Gateway and Station Improvements will feature improved pedestrian and cycling facilities through clearly marked shared use space and improved crossing facilities at all key junctions. These plans meet current design standards for width of shared use facilities and we have worked closely with designers and safety advisors to maximise safe use of these spaces.

We will ensure that the existing cycle network is linked to the scheme, thereby providing a comprehensive cycle network for Burgess Hill.  The Burgess Hill Place and Connectivity Programme is delivering high quality network of new and improved pedestrian/cycle routes through Burgess Hill.  The network will continue to be developed to deliver connected, safe, direct and attractive walking and cycling routes and high-quality public spaces to encourage people to choose to walk, cycle and use public transport.

The Western Gateway and Station Improvements features improved pedestrian and cycling facilities through clearly marked shared use space and improved crossing facilities at all key junctions. These plans meet current design standards for width of shared use facilities. We have worked closely with designers and safety advisors to maximise safe use of these spaces and reflect the County Council Cycle Design Guidance and national good practice.

The Local Transport Note 1/20 provides guidance to local authorities. As with most urban locations it is not always physically possible to provide facilities for all cyclists dependent on their levels of ability. This was taken into account in relation to width constraints  identified, within the extents of the scheme, that did not allow for meaningful lengths of segregated facilities.  We have worked closely with designers and safety advisors to maximise safe use of the available space and this will continue to be monitored.

Vehicle lanes on Station Road and the kerbs around some junctions were narrowed to allow for increased footway width. As a result, the shared use route has been accommodated. Robust design and safety auditing has been undertaken, working with current size constraints to ensure traffic flow will remain unimpeded.

The scheme is an urban realm improvement project that focuses on improved pedestrian and cycling facilities to encourage sustainable travel modes, facilitate modal shift and enable better management of peak demands. 

Traffic signals on Station Road will ensure traffic flows are managed to reflect peak demands and will provide an appropriate level of pedestrian priority between the station and the town centre.

Please click the link for information on all road works in Burgess Hill.

The Love West Sussex website and app allow you to inform us of any highways issues such as potholes, overgrown vegetation, damaged kerbs, footpaths and verges, which you come across in the county. 

Using the Love West Sussex website or app you will be able to check on the progress of your report and any work being undertaken.

Please note these works are still in a snagging period so any issues will be picked up and corrected in the final assessment.

If you have any queries on the day regarding how the works are being carried out near you, e.g. ‘Can I get access to my property’, then please feel free to ask to speak to the on-site Site Supervisor who is normally best placed to address your concerns.

To find out more about roads and pavements via our enquiry page.

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