Both GP surgeries and the new gym are open at the £21m Newhaven health hub. The swimming pool returns at the end of September and the pharmacy has no date.

Newhaven’s £21 million health hub opened on 3 September, putting two GP surgeries, a leisure centre and, eventually, a pharmacy on one square in the middle of town. Not all of it is open yet, and the part most people will notice missing is the swimming pool.

Wellbeing Square occupies the former Co-op and Peacocks units on Newhaven Square, BN9 9QS. Lewes District Council led the project and paid for it with the UK Government. Building work started on 28 October 2024.

What is open now

Newhaven Medical Practice, formerly Chapel Street Surgery, was first in. It moved into 5 to 8 Newhaven Square, the old Peacocks building, on 11 May 2026. Its contact page gives reception as 01273 517000 and opening hours of 8.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday. The phone number did not change with the move, and neither did the practice’s patient list.

Quayside Medical Practice followed this month, into 10 Newhaven Square, the old Co-op. Its contact page now gives that address, with reception on 01273 615 000. The council’s project timeline had the practice opening for business on 1 September.

Wave Active at The Wellbeing Square, the renamed Seahaven Swim and Fitness Centre, reopened on 2 September. The operator says the gym has new Technogym equipment, and that fitness and holistic studios are open with it.

What is not open yet

Wave Active is clear about the two things still to come, and the council’s own announcement does not mention either.

  • The swimming pool opens at the end of September.
  • Lilian’s Room Lite reopens in early October, once the final stage of the work is finished.

The pharmacy is the other gap. The council’s news release lists “a new pharmacy” among the completed scheme’s features. Its own project page for the site, last updated on 4 September, still shows the pharmacy’s opening date as to be confirmed, in unit 9 Newhaven Square. The same is true of the creative and co-working space, more than 200 square metres of it, reached from Chapel Street.

We could not confirm an opening date for either on 9 September.

What is open at Wellbeing Square, Newhaven Seven parts of Wellbeing Square in Newhaven. Newhaven Medical Practice opened on 11 May 2026. Quayside Medical Practice opened in September 2026. The Wave Active gym and studios reopened on 2 September 2026. The swimming pool is due at the end of September. Lilian's Room Lite is due in early October. The pharmacy and the creative and co-working space have no published date. Wellbeing Square: three parts open, four still to come Source: Lewes District Council project page, updated 4 September 2026, and Wave Active, checked 9 September 2026. Part of the scheme Status Newhaven Medical Practice, 5 to 8 Newhaven Square Open since 11 May 2026 Quayside Medical Practice, 10 Newhaven Square Open, September 2026 Wave Active gym and studios Open since 2 September 2026 Swimming pool Due end of September 2026 Lilian's Room Lite Due early October 2026 Pharmacy, unit 9 Newhaven Square No date published Creative and co-working space, over 200 square metres No date published Graphic by The Lewes Post
What you can use today, and what is still to come.

What the money bought

The council says the scheme is transformational for a town centre that had a cluster of empty and under-used buildings on its main square. Beyond the two surgeries, the published list of work includes:

  • a new roof on the former Co-op unit, now Quayside Surgery
  • a link bridge joining the surgeries to the Wave Active side
  • a new shared entrance for Quayside Medical Practice and Wave Active
  • a Changing Places facility, with access directly from Newhaven Square
  • lighting upgrades to Dacre Road car park

Councillor Zoe Nicholson, the leader of Lewes District Council, called the opening “a major milestone in the history of the town and very proud moment for Lewes District Council”.

Paul Moore, a GP at Quayside Medical Practice, put it in plainer terms. “At a time when general practice is in crisis, nationally, through years of under-investment, we are excited to be able to offer our service in beautiful new premises,” he said. “The opportunity to develop our practice is no longer constrained by lack of space.”

Allison Cannon, Chief Nursing Officer for Sussex and Surrey, said the hub makes it “easier for people to access support closer to home and at the right time”.

What it means for you

If you are a patient at either surgery: both are now on Newhaven Square, a few doors apart. Neither practice has changed its phone number, and neither has asked patients to re-register. Newhaven Medical Practice is at 5 to 8 Newhaven Square, Quayside at number 10.

If you swim at Seahaven: the pool is not back until the end of September. The gym and the studios are open now, under the centre’s new name.

If you use the Dacre Road car park: the lighting has been upgraded as part of the works. Our parking guide covers charges across the district.

If you were expecting a pharmacy: it is coming to unit 9 on the square, but the council has published no date. Until it opens, the nearest dispensing options are unchanged.

Sources