Polegate & Willingdon Medical Centre

The Polegate and Willingdon Medical Centre is a council-led proposal for a new, three-storey, purpose-built GP surgery on the Hindsland site between Polegate and Willingdon. The scheme will replace two outdated surgeries with a modern, accessible health hub for local residents, meeting current NHS standards and supporting growing primary care demand.

Background

Residents in Polegate and Willingdon are currently served by under-sized, outdated premises that struggle to accommodate rising patient numbers.

Health strategies from NHS Sussex identified Polegate as one of three priority locations in Wealden for new and improved primary care facilities, alongside Mayfield and Hailsham.

An earlier private-sector proposal for a medical centre at Hindsland fell through. In response, we acquired this site in 2025 and worked with NHS Sussex Integrated Care Board and local GPs to secure provisions.

Objectives and outcomes

The project aims to deliver a modern medical centre that improves access to GP services, supports integrated primary care and provides capacity for a growing population. Bringing two GP practices together, the centre will provide flexible clinical space, an on-site pharmacy and high-quality staff facilities.

The building will meet high NHS, accessibility and environmental standards, with improved energy performance and capacity to support longer opening hours, additional services and multidisciplinary working.

Project delivery & key stages

In 2022, Outline planning permission for a medical centre at Hindsland was granted, recognising the site’s suitability. Following the collapse of a private developer-led scheme, we worked with NHS Sussex Integrated Care Board and commissioned feasibility work to explore a council-delivered medical centre.

We successfully secured the Hindsland site at auction in early 2025 and appointed a design team to develop detailed proposals. Later in 2025, a planning application for the new three-storey, fully accessible medical centre was submitted, setting out the detailed layout, appearance and landscaping of the building and its surroundings.

The plans include:

Consulting and treatment rooms on the lower floors
Administrative and staff facilities on the higher floors
Generous waiting areas
Lifts and level access throughout
Around 80–85 parking spaces, including accessible bays and ambulance access.

Wealden councillors unanimously granted reserved matters consent, confirming local support. A tender process is now under way to appoint a contractor to deliver the project.

Impact and results

Once built, the Polegate and Willingdon Medical Centre will consolidate the existing Downlands and Manor Park practices into a single, modern facility designed around patient needs. This will enable more appointments, improved accessibility, and a broader range of services under one roof, helping residents to access care closer to home and reducing pressure on hospital services.

The building will offer larger, better-equipped consulting and treatment rooms, enhanced infection control, and flexible space to support multidisciplinary teams, health promotion and digital ways of working. The scheme also represents a significant investment in the local community and high-quality public services.

By taking on site acquisition and leading delivery, we have unlocked a project that had previously stalled, demonstrating how local government can work with NHS partners to secure essential community infrastructure.

In the long term, the new centre will help to accommodate the additional residents moving into nearby housing developments, support recruitment and retention of clinical staff, and contribute to better health outcomes and reduced inequalities for the wider Polegate and Willingdon area.

Links and further information

Find out more about Polegate & Willingdon Medical Centre

Read through the planning application documents for Polegate & Willingdon Medical Centre