Town centre revamp plans on show

Plans for a two-year development to transform part of a Sussex town centre are to be made public.

The designs for the proposed £30m works on Queen's Walk in East Grinstead will be unveiled on Thursday morning.

An exhibition will be held at Martell's department store in Queen's Walk for three days as part of a consultation on the new flats and retail units.

The developers said they want to hear the views of local people before submitting plans to the council.

'Poor advertisement'

The planning application to Mid Sussex Council by Onslow East Grinstead would include demolishing shops and a car park and building 25 new shops and 185 flats rising up to four storeys above the retail units.

An underground car park would replace the current facility and offer more than 100 extra spaces.

The developers said the work was needed because the area was "past its sell-by date and is not a good advertisement for the town", and to offer a larger store for Martell's, a family business which has been in the town since 1854.

Godfrey Spanner, of Onslow East Grinstead, said: "We hope local people welcome and support this planning initiative.

"It will see an investment of £30m in East Grinstead and create in the region of 200 new jobs."