Nusrat Ghani, MP for Wealden, has welcomed the announcement that a bid for almost £20m of the government’s Levelling up Fund has been made by Wealden District Council.
Wealden District Council is applying for a grant of £19.8m to help towards the cost of a new £43m Health and Wellbeing Hub as phase one of the ambitious Hailsham Aspires scheme to regenerate Hailsham town centre.
The plans encompass a new leisure centre to replace the existing ageing Freedom Leisure Centre with a range of new facilities and a long-awaited new medical centre co-located with the leisure centre. The Hub, which would be built on council-owned land near the current council offices, forms part of the wider vision for the regeneration of Hailsham town centre. This seeks to ensure Hailsham is fit for a future which will see both an ageing and a growing population, in addition to improving the overall health and wellbeing across the community.
Nusrat Ghani said: “I am always campaigning for more government funding for Wealden and I am pleased to endorse this bid for Hailsham. Given the impact of the pandemic on town centres, this investment is now essential in revitalising the heart of the town and economic activity within it. The Hailsham Aspires project recognises that there is a lot more to regeneration than housing growth and seeks to accompany this growth with the necessary community infrastructure that will help create a safe and vibrant town centre for Hailsham.”