Plans have been tabled for a £1.6 million community centre on one of the most deprived estates in Sussex.

The cash is part of a £2.86 million Government Single Regeneration Grant for east Hailsham, which includes the rundown Town Farm estate.

Over the years, Town Farm has suffered from a lack of community facilities, poor school results and high levels of crime and drug and alcohol abuse.

The estate's only amenity is a converted council house which serves as a makeshift community centre.

But all that will change if Wealden Council approves the plans, which will benefit 800 residents.

Corrine Ayres, Town Farm's community development worker, said: "It's taken a lot of hard work to get this far, but now people here are really starting to see that progress is being made.

"Everyone I have spoken to is very excited about the community centre and we are all hoping it will prove the end of all the problems we have had here in the past."

It is hoped that once planning permission has been granted work on the centre, to be built on the Maurice Thornton Playing Field, can start in March.

Construction is expected to take around 12 months. The building will include meeting rooms, a community cafe, nursery, youth club, craft workshops and information technology areas.

Hailsham mayor Ian Haffenden has worked closely with the scheme and is confident of its success.

He said: "I'm delighted at how things are progressing. Once the centre is up and running, it will give a real boost to the area and provide youngsters with a much better start in life.

"If the youngsters are looked after, maybe it will allow the adults to get out to work and that is good for the economy in Hailsham as a whole."

The rest of the money and funding from the Government's Sure Start campaign, up to £2 million a year, will be spent on other projects aimed at improving the estate.

They include traffic calming, crime reduction, a youth

drop-in centre and projects at nearby Marshlands County Primary School.

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