Council buys two surgeries for new medical centre

Government funding has been awarded to the project

Rother District Council has agreed to purchase two doctors' surgeries as part of plans to build a new medical centre in Bexhill-on-Sea, which it hopes will ease pressure on health services.

Cabinet members agreed to purchase the freeholds of both the Old Town Surgery in De La Warr Road and the Little Common Surgery in Cooden Sea Road.

The deals are part of wider plans for a new medical centre on Brooklands Road, which will see the Little Common Surgery eventually relocate to the new site, while the Old Town Surgery will remain in place indefinitely.

Deputy council leader Christine Bayliss said the new "state-of-the-art" GP surgery would help reduce waiting lists and move care out of hospitals.

"This is something we can be proud of," she added.

Rother District Council secured planning permission to build the new medical centre in June 2023, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The local authority was also permitted to build three light industrial buildings on the same site, which were then described as suitable for "flexible business uses", as part of its application.

Officers told the cabinet the council has secured £5m of Levelling Up funding for the scheme since planning permission was granted.