Investment

Wealden is the ideal location to start, grow and run your business. Located within the powerhouse of the UK economy - the south east region, close to London and within easy reach of continental Europe, companies operating in the county find that East Sussex has the best of both worlds, a great business location in a beautiful setting.

Wealden is the largest district in East Sussex, covering 323 square miles, with a resident population of 143,800 (Mid Year Population Estimates, Nomis).

It is a highly rural district, encircling Eastbourne in the south and stretching into London commuter-belt areas to its north and west. Two thirds of the District is covered by the High Weald Area of Outstanding National Beauty (ANOB) and the South Downs National Park (official designation from 2010).

The Wealden Employment Land Review (Roger Tym and Cluttons 2008) divides the district into two distinct sub-areas – North Wealden and South Wealden. Along with Eastbourne, South Wealden has been identified as a priority growth area for development which is outlined in the Eastbourne - Hailsham Blueprint document.

Whilst the north of the District is mainly rural, with large areas covered by environmental designations and providing easy access to London for out-commuters, the economy in South Wealden shares more of the characteristics of the East Sussex coastal strip and is linked to the fortunes of neighbouring Eastbourne.

In the north, there is a strong presence of knowledge based businesses, whilst in the south (including Eastbourne) there is a greater level of employment in public services, (such as education and health) and services related to tourism and hospitality.

Locate East Sussex

Locate East Sussex work with us to attract new business to the area and identify new sites for business start up or expansion. Their services are available at no charge and include investor advice and assistance, facilitating development opportunities and sites and premises searches. Tel: 01424 205512.