Letter: Investments, not communities in Burgess Hill

I see that the, by now, annual announcement of the £1bn investment in Burgess Hill has been rolled out by Mid Sussex District Council yet again.

Maybe we should mark this ritual event with a public holiday.

No-one is going to turn their nose up at investment in Burgess Hill.

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After all, following years of Tory neglect it is sorely needed. But once you stop feeling giddy from all the spin that the story generates it would be well to reflect on what this investment really represents.

Leaving aside the fact that the £1bn investment (if it is actually £1bn) in Burgess Hill actually covers areas that are not even in Burgess Hill we are talking predominantly about houses.

Many of these houses, we are told, are ‘affordable’ though the press release is silent on what affordability actually means. I suspect that very few of the houses will be within the reach of first time buyers on modest incomes.

But this, though, is the point, the Tories call houses ‘investments’.

Well in Burgess Hill, we like to call houses ‘homes’.

When you look upon houses as investments you don’t build communities and you certainly don’t build homes within the financial reach of all.

ROBERT EGGLESTON

Ferndale Road, Burgess Hill