New Scheme for Relief Road Housing (Jan '05)

The final stage of the Haywards Heath relief road is expected to go ahead despite speculation cheaper housing on hospital land will leave developers strapped for cash.
A recent announcement by Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott claimed sites such as St Francis Hospital may not be sold by their owners, but be retained by the Government and leased for affordable housing.
This has sparked fears there would not be enough money for the sale of the cheaper properties for a developer to build the final stage of the relief road, which is a condition of building on the land.
This could affect the land surrounding St Francis Hospital, which is currently owned by the NHS and even the current Mid Sussex District Council site at Oaklands, Haywards Heath.
It is still uclear how the scheme would work and whether the Government would subsidise a developer for the loss of earnings from the properties.
John Jory, Chief Executive of Mid Sussex District Council said ;' I look forward to the council having the opportunity to look at the details of these proposals so we can assess how this scheme will work in practice'.