Hastings Leisure, Wellbeing and Cultural Hub

Hastings Borough Council has completed indicative proposals for the redevelopment of Summerfields Leisure Centre into a new Leisure, Wellbeing and Cultural Hub. A Levelling Up Funding (LUF) bid for c.£25m has been put together based on the Round 2 prospectus to create a 'shovel ready' project for any future funding opportunities that may arise.

Although outside of a formal Levelling Up Funding (LUF) application round, the council were already in the process of preparing a LUF Round 3 bid and therefore decided to continue with the work and submit their proposal to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) for consideration, in the event that funds become available in the future. 
 
The decision to continue to develop the proposal was made jointly with the lead councillor and the leader, based on the government's agenda of levelling up Hastings, which is the only Priority 1 area on the Levelling Up Fund Index not to have applied for LUF funding.
 
Officers, with support from councillors and the MP, submitted the proposal to the Minister for Levelling Up in April. It was confirmed by the Department of Levelling up Housing and Communities that there are currently no Levelling up funding rounds available to support this project. Officers will be exploring other funding routes, though at present none have been identified.
 
The proposal repurposes and enhances the existing facilities at Summerfields, making them more attractive and accessible, while expanding the range of activities on offer. The existing sports hall and pool are being refurbished, while the rest of the space is reconfigured to improve efficiency and enhance the visitor experience.

The c.£25m project would bring together Summerfields Leisure Centre and the neighbouring Hastings Museum & Art Gallery around a new shared public space to create a regionally significant and vibrant leisure, heritage, wellbeing and cultural destination for Hastings. 

Key aspects include:

• An additional 'wet leisure' facility 
• Upgraded leisure facility including a new entrance facing the museum
• New shared café, community kitchen and multi-functional space
• New shared plaza providing increased amenity and transformation change
• Improved active travel links to the leisure centre and museum.

Artists' impressions of the site - FaulknerBrowns Architects

The aim of the project is to bring together and enhance the Summerfields Leisure Centre and Hastings Museum & Art Gallery to create an environmentally friendly facility. The objectives are to improve the leisure and cultural offer from the two adjoining council assets, enhance the health and wellbeing of residents, create a new visitor attraction in the town, and make both assets financially sustainable into the future.