Newhaven '˜hub' officially opened by royal visitor

The Duke of Gloucester enjoyed a trip to East Sussex on Wednesday, April 20 - first to Hastings to open The Source skate park and then to Newhaven to open the Saxon Community Hub where Sussex Police, East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service and Lewes District Council all operate from under one roof.

Prince Richard arrived by helicopter to the Meeching Road site before a tour of the state-of-the-art facility, which went live in January 2016.

The building has been described as a ‘one-stop-shop’ for residents in Newhaven, bringing three public bodies under the same roof in a bid to streamline services and offer value for money to taxpayers.

The collaborative approach to the project means that three previously outdated buildings can be sold, or reused, for alternative uses and the shared approach has meant more than £450k savings across the partners.

It is hoped that by having a collaborative facility, this will foster closer working with Public Sector Partners and greater joined-up working.

The royal, who is 24th in line for the throne, is a trained architect and was said to be very interested in the buildings he saw, both in Hastings and Newhaven, during his visit to East Sussex.

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