Public invited to design day

So says Helen Wren of the south east regional office of the Royal Institute of British Architects who is recruiting architects to take part in the day which is being organised by the town council.

The aim, as previously reported in the Express, is for architects to work with teams of councillors and representatives of other invited interested parties like the regeneration partnership and chamber of commerce to submit ideas for redevelopment of the town centre.

Residents are invited to drop into the Weald Hall at the Civic Centre at any time on March 27 to watch progress and make their own suggestions.

Helen said she had been involved in several similar design days. 'Sometimes ideas come up which are really wacky, completely off the wall but usually you find there are common themes coming through and these will be the nub of what will probably work very well to put the vibrancy back into Uckfield town centre.'

Architects enjoyed working on these projects because they were encouraged to draw up proposals without planning or budgetary constraints, said Helen.

Uckfield town councillor Ian Smith, who is organising the day, said the idea was to get together ideas which the council could promote and campaign on to win over colleague authorities and get something townspeople could be proud of.