A range of events has been announced to draw people back to a town centre.

Mid Sussex District Council, together with investor NewRiver, will be bringing the “urban events” programme for young people to Burgess Hill.

Activities include laser tag for families, DJ and circus skill workshops, a mini golf course and bouncy castle games.

A line-up of Halloween and festive events has also been put together, including face painting and a synthetic ice rink.

It comes as the local authority and NewRiver have entered into a joint venture to revitalise Burgess Hill town centre.

Visitors to the town have expressed their thoughts on the current state of the centre, which some say is in decline.

Most recently, three business closures were announced - Millets, Shoe Zone and Halifax, while Costa Coffee shut in July.

Halifax is due to close next yearHalifax is due to close next year (Image: Google) A Truffles Bakery hopes to fill the empty lot left behind by Millets, with a planning application currently under consideration.

Councillor Robert Eggleston, leader of Mid Sussex District Council, said: “Like many shopping centres around the country, Burgess Hill has been struggling with the rise of online shopping, intense out-of-town competition, the long-term effects of the Covid pandemic and tough trading conditions.

“The town is gearing up for significant economic growth.

READ MORE: Town centre 'rotting from the inside out' as Costa closes

“We need a vibrant, high quality and accessible town centre to meet the demands of our new science park and business park, our £9 million centre for community sport, three new schools and 6,000 new homes.

“While we work towards this goal, these events mark the start of this new partnership”.

Jamie Whitfield, director of development at NewRiver, said, “We are a long-term investor in Burgess Hill and remain committed to delivering the revitalisation of the Martlets.

“There has been considerable work in the background and we are excited that, as we progress our partnership with Mid Sussex District Council, we can enable some fun free community events at the centre.”

The full details of the events can be found on the Mid Sussex District Council website.