Hailsham market site could be turned into retirement homes

A retirement home provider has set its sights on the location in Market Street, and is asking residents for their views.

McCarthy and Stone says it has recently acquired an interest in the land and is now looking at bringing forward proposals to replace the existing building with new specialist retirement accommodation.

It said in a letter to residents earlier this month, “McCarthy and Stone understands the importance of the cattle market and will ensure no development comes forward on the site, until such a time, that is has fully relocated to the new site, to enable the continuity of trading at the market.

“We are committed to engaging with the local community regarding this proposal and have commenced a pre-application consultation programme.”

It said the cattle market owners have been looking to relocate to a more ‘suitable location’ and a site has been identified to the west of the A22 which it says will be easier for HGVs to access and ‘‘improve the standards’ of livestock handling.

McCarthy and Stone is inviting residents to individual meetings to discuss the preliminary proposals and receive initial feedback.

These are being held on Wednesday (March 18) in Hailsham Gospel Mission, in 15 Station Road.

To arrange a timeslot, residents are asked to contact Hannah Anderson-Jones or Ben Farnes by calling 0800 2987040.

There is also set to be a public exhibition to display the proposals to the wider community in the near future.

No official plans have yet been submitted to Wealden District Council.

The market has been a staple of the Hailsham community for hundreds of years, moving to its current site in 1867.

McCarthy and Stone is a developer and manager of retirement communities in the UK.

It has delivered 56,000 homes in the UK, across more than 1,200 developments.