Martlets Hall FAQs

Community and Infrastructure FAQs Martlets Hall FAQs

Tuesday, 17 January 2023

Latest Questions

1. Why is Martlets Hall being closed?

Marlets Hall is being closed to allow for the redevelopment of Burgess Hill Town Centre, by NewRiver. Once complete the new town centre will boast:

New leisure and recreational facilities
Refurbished car parks
A new Cineworld
Newly built flats and hotels
New employment opportunities so people can work locally
A variety of new and affordable eating establishments

2. When will the Martlets Hall close?

Notice has formally been served and NewRiver are working with Places for People Leisure to identify an appropriate time for closure.

3. WIll the Martlets Hall be replaced?

Between February and March 2018, local residents were asked to take part in a council-led vote by Burgess Hill Town Council (BHTC) on whether they supported funding the new venue, which was dependent on securing a £5 million loan. With a narrow majority of residents rejecting the increase in council tax to fund the new venue, BHTC is currently reviewing other ways to deliver the project over a longer timeframe.

4. Where will all the groups who currently use it go?

MSDC suggested alternate venues to all groups who used Martlets Hall

5. Who can I talk to about relocating to an alternate venue?

Glen Wilkinson, the Leisure Partnership Officer at Mid Sussex District Council, will be happy to help groups identify and move to a new home. You can contact him via email on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or use the website feedback form to find out further information.

6. Didn't a consultant working on behalf of BHTC, agree there is a need for an art/cultural venue in Burgess Hill?

The Town Council commissioned a report that concluded that there could be sufficient demand for a small venue but further work needed to be done, in particular to establish viability. It would be up to BHTC to progress with the findings of any report they have commissioned.

7. If we want to attract people to the town centre wouldn't it be best to have an entertainment venue?

We feel that the regenerated town centre, complete with new anchor tenants in the shopping centre, a new cinema and new eating establishments will attract many more visitors than the current town centre.

8. How come Haywards Heath has an arts/cultural venue and Burgess Hill will not?

Mid Sussex District Council was faced with a tough choice when supporting the town centre regeneration. Cost limitations meant that we could not have a new town centre and an arts/cultural venue. The Council decided that the new town centre, with all the features described above including the number of new jobs it would create, was the better decision for the benefit of Burgess Hill.