The impending decision by Mid Sussex District Council regarding a community bid to retain Clair Hall has highlighted widespread concern among residents of Haywards Heath. This concern is shaped not only by the immediate risk to the building, but by recent local experience. In neighbouring Burgess Hill, demolition and redevelopment were accompanied by promises of replacement cultural and community spaces that never materialised, leaving many residents feeling their town centre has been hollowed out rather than regenerated. That experience has become a powerful cautionary example of what can happen when valued civic spaces are lost without clear, deliverable alternatives.

Clair Hall is Haywards Heath’s only community hall and theatre. It is a long-established centre for cultural events, youth activities, voluntary groups and public gatherings, and plays a vital role in the social life of the town. Its value lies not only in the building itself, but in the opportunities it provides for connection, creativity and shared civic life. Despite claims that the building is unsafe, there are no structural engineer reports to support this, raising serious questions about how decisions of this scale are being justified.

The potential loss of Clair Hall would also mean the displacement of the Redwood Scout Centre, used weekly by more than 120 young people. This would create a significant gap in local youth provision that cannot easily be replaced elsewhere. Once facilities like this are demolished, they are effectively impossible to recreate.

This campaign — and the accompanying petition — exists to call on Mid Sussex District Council to accept the community bid for Clair Hall. We aim to raise awareness of the bid, share accurate information about the building’s condition and value, and highlight the long-term social, cultural and economic benefits of keeping Clair Hall open and in community use.

By supporting this petition, residents are asking the Council to recognise Clair Hall as essential civic infrastructure and to choose reinvestment and community stewardship over disposal. Our goal is to protect and strengthen Haywards Heath’s community life — not just for today, but for future generations.