East Sussex secures £40m levelling up boost

Hastings and Rother in East Sussex are next in line for a £40 million boost to upgrade their towns and community centres and build more affordable homes for local people.

The major regeneration plans confirmed by the government this week will provide each area with £20 million from its Levelling Up Partnerships programme.

It’s part of a wider £480 million initiative providing targeted cash and bespoke regeneration for 20 areas in England and four places in Scotland that are most in need of levelling up.

The funding will also help Hastings and Rother revamp their health and leisure services for residents, while investing in opportunities to unlock new jobs and skills so people can access higher-paid roles.

Jacob Young, minister for levelling up, said: “These new Levelling Up Partnerships are fantastic news for the people of Hastings and Rother, and another important step in our work to accelerate regeneration and transform lives in this special part of the country.

“This money builds on the millions of pounds we’ve already invested to breathe new life into the area – restoring pride in our towns and creating new opportunities for local people.

“We’re working closely with local leaders, including East Sussex County Council, as part of our plans to level up East Sussex – making sure residents and families reap the rewards of new and improved health services, refurbished community hubs and revamped high streets.”

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) has worked closely with local councils to identify their priorities.

Among the major upcoming projects is a £13 million drive to provide more affordable housing in Hastings, as well as £9 million for a new King Offa Leisure Centre in Bexhill alongside 50 homes.

There’s also £5 million for a new Barnhorn Green Health in Bexhill to improve local access to healthcare, and £3.4 million to transform the Hollington Youth Hub, offering a wide range of health and wellbeing services in partnership with the NHS.

These new plans build on the significant investment already underway in these two areas, with Hastings receiving nearly £24 million from the Towns Fund and £1 million UK Shared Prosperity Fund, while Rother benefits from over £19 million from the Levelling Up Fund.

Hastings and Bexhill will also see improvements from £20 million each as part of the Long-Term Plan for Towns.

Cllr Julia Hilton, leader of Hastings Borough Council, said: “We’re really pleased that Hastings has been given this funding to help us address the housing crisis we have in our town.

“The funding means we’re able to expand our housing acquisition programme and also make sure that a site earmarked for affordable housing can be built to our very high energy efficient specification and under our control.

“Funding for other partner projects across the town including skills, health, culture and better youth provision is also very welcome.”

Cllr Doug Oliver, leader of Rother District Council, added: “Every single person should have the same opportunities in life, regardless of where they live. But we know that in Rother, there are barriers that limit possibilities for some people.

“This latest funding as part of the government’s Levelling Up Partnerships programme is an amazing investment for our district and will enable us and our partners to make a real difference to people’s lives and futures.

“We face challenges in Rother unique to us and it’s important that the solutions come from local people and organisations that have the best understanding of the situation.”

The government will continue to work with the remaining Levelling Up Partnership areas and will be announcing details of their regeneration packages over the next 12 months.