£200m of investment in East Sussex

Since the start of this decade well over £200m government funding has been awarded to East Sussex through a range of Government programmes to improve infrastructure, town centres, high streets and build commercial units all supporting the levelling up agenda and levering in significant private sector funding.  Below are the highlights. 

Eastbourne

Eastbourne successfully secured nearly £20million for its ‘Levelling-Up bid‘, linking the town centre regeneration with a strengthened visitor economy. Victoria Place business district, just off the seafront, is being regenerated into a vibrant pedestrianised zone specialising in food with independent cafes, eateries and small businesses to attract year round visitors, while just out of town on the edge of the South Downs the Towner’s redevelopment of Black Robin Farm into an arts and education centre to attract visitors, create jobs and offer training to young people.

Newhaven

Along the coast Newhaven has also been successful with its Levelling up bid and has been awarded £12.6 million to re-establish the town as a maritime centre of excellence and ensure Newhavens fishing industry receives the support it needs. Last year Newhaven was also allocated nearly £20m from the Governments ‘Towns Fund to regenerate deprived towns. The council has been working on detailed plans ever since. They hope to drive economic growth through the Newhaven Enterprise Zone and support the development of creative businesses and makers in the town, bridging the creative coast between Eastbourne and Brighton along with the redevelopment as a thriving port facility re-positioning the town as a key southern gateway to the UK. An additional £5m from the ‘Future High Street Fund‘ will focus on improving the town centre.

Hastings

Hastings has also been awarded £24.3 million, which, combined with match funding, is expected to total almost £100 million in investment into the town over the next few years. The funding will support a range of projects, such as sustainable business incubator units at Churchfield Business Centre, the creation of a ‘Green Low Carbon Skills‘ centre of excellence and local labour supply, the regeneration of the town centre to reconnect with residents, businesses and visitors, and development of three key facilities into anchors for a new ‘Creative Quarter‘.

SELEP

Across East Sussex the ‘Getting Building Fund‘, announced last year via the South East Local Enterprise Partnership (SELEP) is supporting projects that enable town centre modernisation; physical connectivity; improvements to human capital and improvements to digital infrastructure with £11,179,000 across 8 projects, including the development of 4000 sqm of Class B1/B2 industrial units, built using sustainable construction techniques; A new co-working office space for creative industries in Lewes; and the redevelopment of the Observer Building in Hastings into a leisure/retail/living space. SELEP has also provided almost £ 2 million from the ‘Growth Fund‘ to create 84,000 sq. ft of light industrial floorspace on Bexhill Enterprise Park North. Another major development is on the Bexhill Hastings Link Road which has already seen two major new office developments completed in the last few years.

A precursor to the Shared Prosperity Fund last year the ‘Community Renewal Fund‘ invested £2.5 million across 5 projects in the county which will safeguard 300 jobs and offer 470 participants skills and employment support.

Road infrastructure investment in the pipeline:

  • A £75m investment in small scale improvements to the A27 east of Lewes by National Highways, formerly Highways England. Junction improvements at Polegate and Drusillas roundabout were completed at the end of 2021 with the completion of the pedestrian/cycle route planned for the end of 2022,
  • With a £23m investment into the Newhaven Port Access Road and further Government investment from the Port Infrastructure Fund to provide the link into the south of the Port, the road was opened to traffic in February 2022,
  • The Exceat Bridge on the A259 over the Cuckmere successfully attracted £7.9m of Levelling Up funding last year which will make a huge difference to traffic using the coast road from Brighton to Eastbourne.

These investments are only part of the recent story of East Sussex. The pandemic affected many businesses, the leisure and tourism sector was particularly badly struck but they are bouncing back with the support of this unprecedented level of investment together with the shift in working practises making the life style attractions that East Sussex has to offer a destination for investors and new residents alike.

 

Locate East Sussex have supported many people to access funding vital for the sustainability and progression of their business. To see how we can help you. Get in Touch

Eastbourne
Newhaven
Hastings

Currently project plans for the £1m allocated to each of the borough and districts in East Sussex from the Governments long awaited 'Shared Prosperity Fund' are being worked up and will soon be submitted to government for approval.