More than £500,000 has been allocated to support the creation of a new community hub in Bexhill town centre.

Rother District Council (RDC) said the money has been awarded to Rother Voluntary Action (RVA).

A sum of £519,584 will go towards creating a hub at 34 Devonshire Road, the council said.

A council spokesperson said: “The project will transform a disused building into a flexible community space for activities, events, training and service delivery.”

The money comes from Rother’s Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) fund totalling £1.3 million.

The spokesperson added: “The CIL is a charge paid on certain new developments to help fund the infrastructure needed to support growth. It ensures that developer contributions are reinvested into local communities, helping to deliver improvements to community facilities, green infrastructure, roads, schools, and other essential services that benefit residents.”

The council said £310,000 is also being awarded to East Sussex County Council to help create a new Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) facility at Glenleigh Park Primary Academy in Bexhill.

The project will adapt two existing classrooms to provide specialist provision for up to 12 pupils with autism and other SEND requirements, including a dedicated teaching area, sensory room, adapted toilet facilities, kitchen space, and an outdoor play area, the council said.

Bexhill Museum has secured £40,956 to install solar panels, battery storage, a monitoring system and a public digital display showing real-time carbon savings.

The project is expected to save around 3.7 tonnes of carbon dioxide each year, equating to approximately 93 tonnes of CO2 over the system's lifetime, said the council said.

The Flatlands Projects Art Centre in Bexhill has been awarded £47,000 for automatic internal and external doors, improved access routes and wayfinding measures.

A sum of £331,000 from the council's CIL fund has been allocated for improvements and refurbishments at Rye Leisure Centre.

The council said the project includes creating a new community café and social space, refurbishing and repairing the gym and sports hall, fixing leaking roofs, improving swimming pool infrastructure and enhancing fire safety.

Catsfield Parish Council has been awarded £35,748 for the decarbonisation of Catsfield Pavilion.

The project will replace the building's oil-fired boiler with an air source heat pump, install solar photovoltaic panels and improve insulation, the council said. Westfield Parish Council will receive £35,000 towards a package of traffic calming and public realm improvements along the A28 through Westfield village.

The proposals include village gateway features, improved signage and road markings, landscaping and coloured road surfacing designed to improve road safety, the council added.

Cllr Teresa Killeen, chair of the Strategic CIL Allocations Panel at Rother District Council, said: “This £1.3 million investment demonstrates how developer contributions can be used to deliver lasting benefits for communities across Rother.

“The projects we are supporting will improve community facilities, create opportunities for young people with additional needs, make buildings more sustainable, improve accessibility and enhance road safety.

“By reinvesting Community Infrastructure Levy funding into local priorities, we are helping ensure that development delivers tangible benefits for residents both now and in the future.”