Seaford Health Hub

Statement from Lewes District Council

“As you will be aware, significant concerns were raised by residents about the plans for new health premises at The Downs site in Seaford, including its ‘out of town’ location and potential impact on green spaces at the site. After a review of The Downs proposals by the Council’s Scrutiny Committee, the Council determined that the development should not go ahead unless and until health bodies could demonstrate that there was no practical prospect of delivering new GP premises at Dane Road, in Seaford town centre.

The Council has helped the NHS Eastbourne, Hailsham & Seaford Clinical Commissioning Group to secure a viability study of the Dane Road site for delivering new GP premises. This included the site of Seaford Medical Centre which is owned by NHS Property Services, and the adjacent Richmond Road Car Park. The study identified that, subject to further design work and securing investment, a scheme could be feasible if the car park was included in the development.

In view of the outcome of the study, it seems most unlikely that the health bodies will be able to demonstrate that there is no practical prospect of delivering new GP premises at Dane Road and the proposals for a new Health Hub at The Downs site are therefore very unlikely to be taken forward.

The study has been passed to the CCG and the Council will continue to offer any advice and support that it can to health bodies if they wish to look at taking a scheme forward at Dane Road. This includes helping them to secure the Richmond Road Car Park.  We are also very mindful that in the post Covid economic climate, Government support for projects like this, which do not directly support the core / statutory functions of the Council, will be increasingly important.  Council representatives recently met with Maria Caulfield MP to ask for support in this regard.

I hope this information is helpful as an update on the Seaford Health Hub / Downs project.  I would like to close by saying that the Council remains committed to supporting enhanced healthcare provision in Seaford and will do everything it can to support local health bodies in their search for new accommodation.”