Hastings Bridge Community Centre goes on sale for £650,000

The Bridge Community Centre, at 361 Priory Road in Hastings, has been listed for sale for £650,000.

The centre was built in 2008 using public funds, but has been closed for around seven years.

After a years-long process, ownership of The Bridge was transferred to the Parchment Trust, a Hastings disability charity, in March 2024.

The Parchment Trust says it invested “huge amounts of time and resource into the building, with a view to getting it ready for an opening in 2025”, including tackling a “large-scale moth infestation”.

Parchment say they are unable to reopen The Bridge(Image: Dyer + Hobbis)

However, despite this, the trust announced in June 2025 that they would not be able to reopen the Bridge Community Centre, and would instead look to sell the building.

The charity said this was squarely the result of increases in minimum wage and employer National Insurance contributions that came into effect in April 2025.

Parchment said that the effect of this “was so significant that we were unable to continue with the plans to renovate and run The Bridge without de-railing our other services.”

Councillor Glenn Haffenden, leader of Hastings Borough Council, said he was “disappointed” to hear of the sale of the publicly funded building, and “shocked” by the asking price.

The building once contained a community cafe(Image: Dyer + Hobbis)

Cllr Glenn Haffenden said: “We are disappointed that The Parchment Trust have decided to sell The Bridge.

“It is even more shocking that the building, which was funded by public money and gifted to the Parchment Trust, is now being offered for sale at £650,000.

“There were a number of community organisations that have showed interest in the building for meanwhile use, but none will be able to raise this sort of money.

“It is hard to understand how the Parchment Trust have reached this decision without reaching out to either Hastings Borough Council or East Sussex County Council.”

The building is on sale with estate agents Dyer + Hobbis(Image: Dyer + Hobbis)

The building is subject to a covenant which requires it to be used for the benefit of the community, and to be open to the public for at least 20 hours per week.

Councillor Julia Hilton, deputy leader of the council, said that this covenant would be enforced going forward.

Cllr Julia Hilton said: “We will be working to ensure the covenants on the building are properly enforced that should guarantee this building has a community use.

“The Parchment Trust are already in breach of this covenant as the building has remained close since finally transferring to their ownership.”