Welcome to the
Lewes House Site

Oppose a huge development in Lewes
This site provides information and opinion on the planned development of the Lewes House Site in the centre of Lewes, East Sussex by Ash Mill Developments.

What?
79 homes in 3 and 4 storey blocks

Where?
The ancient heart of Lewes

When?
Now!
Planning application comments deadline:
7 January 2005

Public meeting Wed 5 January
Over 150 people gathered for a public meeting and display of plans and interpretations of the Development proposal.

Report of Resolutions Passed at Public Meeting to discuss the Lewes House Site Development Held at All Saints Centre, Lewes, 6th January 2005-01-06. Present at meeting approximately 150 members of the public. Votes taken by a show of hands:

1. This meeting is against any breaching of the Twitten Walls - 3 against, everyone else for the motion

2. This meeting agrees that the proposed development is too high and too dense - Unanimous, for the motion

3. This meeting agrees that a conflict of interest exists because the vendor of the site is also the planning authority - Unanimous, for the motion

The President of the Friends of Lewes
Reported to meeting the draft of their objections;
- Development Brief has not been adhered to
- Excessive height
- Unauthorised increase in number of dwellings over the Development Brief
- Infrastructure of town unable to support increased dwellings
- Failure to reflect vernacular architecture
- Flint panels unacceptable
- Lack of an irregular roofline (as per the brief)
- object to full-height openings in twittens (should all be archways)
- lack of plan for car parking
- object to removal of any trees on Walwers Lane site

Other comments:
- Will new 2005 building regulations apply ?
- No Model of the scheme has been produced, why not ?
- Brief calls for contribution to ESCC for Primary School provision – not included by developer ?
- Sustainability – should amalgamate Baxters / Walwers Lane and Lewes House sites and connect them to a District Heating scheme, perhaps with Biomass boiler ?
- Clarify the position re parking permits – are affordable tenants to be allowed permits or not?
- Suggest use of dormer windows to reduce heights
- A full archaeological survey should be carried out before development starts

The Town Council
Reported their objections to the plans at their last planning meeting.

John Chatwin, Lewes Tree Warden
- site is actually 2 gardens of Listed Buildings in a conservation area, of historical importance. gardens are within cartilage of the listed buildings
- development within a conservation area should enhance the area – this development does not, it is gross overdevelopment
- If “basement structure” is an Ice-House, its partial destruction would be an abomination
- More than 50% of trees are planned to be lost from the site. If development proceeds at this density, many more will die during construction. No proper plans/surveys have been carried out of the trees. Already on the Library site a yew tree (behind Turkish Baths) has been excavated right to its base, it has had rubbish bins parked on it, and has a portakabin inserted into its crown. High density of the scale proposed will kill trees.
- Walls – people do not want the walls to be breached. If development on this scale requires the walls to be breached, then the development should be cut back or not go ahead
- where will LDC staff park their cars when The Level is sold off ?

A District Councilor expressed a wish that the feeling and sentiment of the meeting could be conveyed to the planning committee members and planning officers at Lewes District Council who didn't attend - although invited.

More details and graphics and data from the meeting will be posted on the site in the next few days.

Density

40 homes
The original Lewes District Council design brief asked for minimum 40 homes on the site.
60 homes
To match Government policy the number of homes was raised to 60
79 homes
Ash Mill now propose 79 homes on this site

That is a 97.5% increase in density
But... no change to the design brief to reflect this

Height - towering monoliths
2 floors plus roof
The design brief required a degree of sensitivity to the heights of surrounding buildings. but...
3 and 4 floors plus roof
Ash Mill plan to build three- and four-floor blocks which with a mass of high roofs takes most of the buildings to over four stories in height.
See: What Lewes buildings are taller than those planned?

Low EcoHomes rating
South facing slope
Design brief encouraged using the use of passive heat and light from the open south facing slope - buildings were to be stepped down the slope and light was to flood in. but...
9 out of 32
Out of a possible 32 points the development scores 9 points [28%] for Health and Well-being which assesses the amount light and space available for residents.

Overall the rating is Good [53%] - many local authorities insist on an Excellent rating [Croydon][70%+] or at least Very Good 60%+ [Richmond] for new developments

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