COUNCIL leaders have welcomed Government funding that will help complete a new road and open up land for much-needed employment space.
The Department for Levelling Up, housing and communities (DLUHC) has allocated £2.5million of funding to East Sussex County Council as part of further investment in the Rother and Hastings Levelling Up Partnership areas.
The money will be used to complete the Queensway Gateway Road, linking Bexhill and the A21, relieving localised congestion and improving traffic flow.
Cllr Keith Glazier, Leader of East Sussex County Council, said: “We are delighted that DLUHC has recognised the importance of this project and the need to complete the road.
“The completion of the Queensway Gateway Road is a top priority for the county council as we know the difference it will make for people living, working and visiting the Hastings and Rother area.”
The latest funding will support a number of projects aimed at addressing inequalities, regenerating key areas and boosting the local economy. Rother District Council and Hastings Borough Council will work with partners including East Sussex County Council, Sussex Police, the voluntary sector, and Chambers of Commerce to deliver the projects.
As well as the funding for the Queensway Gateway Road, East Sussex County Council will lead on projects that will improve family and youth services and provide skills training to boost employment opportunities for residents.
Cllr Glazier added: “This funding will support a wide range of important community projects that will help improve the lives those people living, working and visiting the Hastings and Rother area.
“Both areas have suffered from significant economic and social pressures, and these investments will go some way to breaking down barriers and tackling the challenges they face.”
In Rother the latest Levelling Up funding will also improve energy efficiency and long-term sustainability of Rye Leisure facilities, fund mobile community hub for rural areas of Rother and support the refurbishment of leisure facilities in Bexhill, among other projects.
Funding for Hastings will support a number of projects including work to tackle pressures on affordable and emergency accommodation, improvements to health services, and the creation of a mobile studio space to deliver art activities to deprived areas.
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