Lewes: Plans unveiled for derelict town centre site

The development is planned for a brownfield site on the River Ouse in the centre of Lewes

Plans for a new sustainable riverside development in the centre of Lewes in East Sussex have gone on public display.

The Phoenix will include about 700 homes, community spaces, a river walk and flood defences, the developers say.

Jonathan Smales, CEO of Human Nature, said: "We're building in engineered timber which is 100% renewable."

The brownfield site, once a site of heavy industry, has been derelict for 20 years, Mr Smales said.

A planning application is due to be submitted to the South Downs National Park, which has jurisdiction over Lewes, in the next few days, the developer said.

A spokesman for Human Nature said: "At the heart of the neighbourhood will be a series of public squares connecting to a community canteen, event hall, taproom, fitness centre, workspace and makers' studios, much of which will be housed within repurposed industrial structures."

The site has become derelict following the closure of the ironworks and a fire in 2014

The site was once the home of Phoenix Ironworks, but was more recently host to Lewes' creative community until a fire broke out in 2014.

Andy Tugby, head of sustainable construction at Human Nature, said: "We're building using natural materials, and highly efficient and insulated structures.

"We're committed to building in timber, and we're also committed to using as much locally-sourced timber, sourced from East and West Sussex, Surrey and Kent," he said.

"The natural materials mean they'll be really healthy places to live in, but the high performance mean they'll be cheap places to live in."

The development will have a river walk and green spaces

David Cowans, chair of Human Nature, said: "It's designed as a place, not just a housing development.

"A lot of attention has gone into how people would live their lives.

"There is a strong element of sustainability, and a lot of thought has gone into the cost of living in a house."

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