New architects selected to draw up plans for Beehive community venue in Burgess Hill

The town council has spend the last few years working on the Beehive project, which would replace the former RBL building in Cyprus Road next to Cyprus Hall.

Due to soaring costs the project was put on hold last summer.

Since then the previous firm of architects for the project has turned its interest to international projects which gave Burgess Hill Town Council the opportunity to seek new ideas and vitality.

Some twenty-two submissions were received and eventually architect firm Unknown Works was selected. They were able to convince the working party set up to consider submissions that they would be able to build an environmentally friendly facility which would seat 250 people and stay within the budget of £5million.

A further advantage of Unknown Works is that one of the partners, Kaowen Ho, lives in Burgess Hill and therefore has local knowledge and understands first-hand the needs and sentiments of the community

While Unknown Works was selected, they will only be formally appointed after the local government elections in May provided the new administration is in agreement with the recommendation.

The project has currently been paused due to spiralling interest rates which the council hopes will reduce in the coming months.

Council Leader Robert Eggleston said: “Pausing The Beehive project last summer was disappointing but necessary as it gave us the opportunity to examine what was needed to get it back on track.

"The appointment of a new firm of architects is an important step in this journey and we are excited to welcome Unknown Works onboard as part of the project team. They are a young and energetic firm with great ideas and fresh creative thinking and we look forward to working with them over the coming months.”

Since the Martlets Hall was closed in 2018, Burgess Hill has not had a public venue for the performing arts and has a shortage of community space in the town centre.

The Beehive project has been about delivering a venue to fill that gap.