Mid Sussex District Council has confirmed Wates Residential Development Ltd as the final partner for a £23 million scheme to bring the Clair Hall site in Haywards Heath back into use.
The redevelopment aims to create a new cultural venue for cinema, live performance and community activities, alongside homes, jobs, skills opportunities, support for local businesses, and improved access to Clair Park.
The proposed centrepiece is a Council-owned venue to be operated by The Digital Picture House, the family business behind cinemas in Uckfield and East Grinstead. The venue would include four auditoriums with modern cinema facilities, an integrated stage for live performance, a flexible community studio, and an all-day café and restaurant. It is designed to host up to 330 people for films, shows, talks, meetings, classes and other activities.
Wates Residential would contribute £3.4 million towards the cultural venue, while the Council has set aside up to £1.5 million from reserves to help unlock the scheme. The Council will retain the freehold and expects commercial rent to help offset any public contribution. The Council will release any public funding only once key conditions are met, including satisfactory planning permission and delivery by an agreed date.
The wider plans also include a landscaped route to Clair Park, with better surfacing, lighting and native planting to create a safer and more attractive pedestrian link between Perrymount Road and the park. The project is also expected to generate apprenticeships, work placements and long-term jobs, while transforming a long-closed brownfield site into a community destination.
Community engagement will be central to the next stage, with residents, groups and local organisations invited to help shape the proposals in the first half of 2027 before a planning application is submitted. If approved, construction could start in 2028 and finish by autumn 2029.
Council leader Robert Eggleston said the scheme offers a chance to honour Clair Hall’s legacy while creating a sustainable new venue for the district. Wates Residential and The Digital Picture House both described the project as an opportunity to build a lively, inclusive place that serves the community for the long term.
