the town gradually grew bigger, having its largest population increase between the years of 1951 and 1961, when the population of about 7,000 residents almost doubled. this earned burgess hill the title of fastest growing town in the south-east. by 1956, the victoria industrial estate was completed, and has since expanded. it now contains the local headquarters of two large international companies. in 1986 a smaller industrial estate to in the north of the town developed, known as sheddingdean industrial estate. both sheddingdean and victoria have now been renamed as business parks.