Wealden Community Sports Hub

This is an exciting project which will provide much needed sport and recreation facilities for the community, located just off of the Boship Roundabout to the North of Hailsham. Full planning permission was granted at Wealden District Council's planning committee south on Thursday 25 January 2024.Sunninghill Construction have been appointed for the construction of the build which started in September 2024. The build aims to be completed by 2026.

As part of the Football Foundation’s Hubs Programme the project received a grant of £3.5million from the Premier League, The FA and government’s Football Foundation. As part of the funding agreement, the site will be operated on a not-for-profit basis by the charity, Leisure United and managed by The National Football Trust. Any surplus income generated from the facility will be reinvested into local grassroots sports.

This project will address in part the identified deficit of community sports facilities available across Wealden and encourage healthier, more active lifestyles for all age groups by providing:

• two floodlit full size 3G pitches
• four dual use floodlit netball/tennis courts
• two padel tennis court
• skate park
• children's play area
• and a sports building with community café and meeting space, changing rooms, toilets (including Changing Places toilet)

The wider community facilities included within the plans have been informed by the public consultation completed in 2021, further exhibition in 2023 and on going conversations with local sports clubs, community groups and governing bodies.

Evidence based

In March 2022, the Council adopted a new Health and Wellbeing strategy which highlighted the importance of the wider determinants of health such as Active Places with one of the priorities being ‘Active Communities, Environment and Facilities’.

The Leisure Provision review (2019) and Playing Pitch and Outdoor Sport Strategy (2022) identified the need for further playing pitch facilities in the district.

Engagement

An 8 week public consultation took place between August to October 2021 to ask people's views on the sports hub proposals. The public survey received over 600 responses, the majority of which were supportive and in favour of the project. A full summary report from the consultation is available on this page.

A public exhibition was held in March 2023 so that residents and stakeholders could see detailed plans and to understand more about how the project has developed. The information presented at the exhibition is also available on this page.

The project has been supported by Dominque Corbett from Hailsham Town Football Club and Mark Pedrick from Brighton and Hove Albion Foundation who both spoke at the Planning Committee South meeting.

Councillor Kelvin Williams, Alliance for Wealden (Liberal Democrat) and lead councillor for Public Health, Wellbeing and Asset Management, said “I am delighted to hear that the Football Foundation has awarded the council £3.5 million in grant funding. This award follows many months of working with the Football Foundation, local clubs and our communities and strengthens our relationship and highlights the importance of having this type of facility within Wealden. The funding will be used to provide residents throughout the district with high-quality sports amenities and allow them to become more active by participating in a variety of different activities and sports.”

Robert Sullivan, Chief Executive of the Football Foundation, said “The Football Foundation is working closely with our partners – the Premier League, The FA and government – to transform the quality of grassroots facilities in England by delivering projects like this across the country. Good quality playing facilities have a transformative impact on physical and mental health and play an important role in bringing people together and strengthening local communities. This grant award to Wealden council towards developing a new Hub is fantastic news for the local community and will help give more people access to a great place to play.”