Lewes, which is the largest town in any National Park in the United Kingdom, is likely to see the first delivery of the South Downs National Park Local Plan, which was published only last week, following the approved Lewes Local Plan.
North Street Quarter, a 15-acre regeneration of Lewes, is subject to the decision on a planning application that was submitted by the joint landowners Santon North Street and Lewes District Council, to the South Down National Park Authority in 2015, and could see building start as early as next year.
A spokesman for the project said, “North Street Quarter is all about early delivery – affordable housing is needed in the park now today and this site has been through ten years of debate.
“With the emerging South Downs National Park Plan following the already approved Joint Local Plan with Lewes District Council, which our planning application matches perfectly, hopefully we will be able to bring forward this much needed redevelopment of housing, whilst retaining employment space, soon and show that local plans are about delivery of regional need and not just a plan.”
The site, known as North Street Quarter, includes 416 new homes, 40% of them (165) affordable, a further 15% high priority housing, vital town flood defences and new riverside public spaces and walkways. In addition to sustaining employment space combined with Malling Brooks, it will provide 140,000 sq ft of well-designed workspace, accommodating 475 sustainable, registered jobs. The proposal meets all the local planning guidance and responds to three years of public consultation, when local people prioritised homes, opening up the river and flood defences on what is the largest brownfield site in the South Downs, located in central Lewes.
A decision will be taken on the application later this year by the South Downs National Park as planning authority. More information at www.northstreetqtr.co.uk