LEWES PHOENIX RISING GMAIL TO MEMBERS 24 MARCH 2014 Dear All, This will take 2 minutes to read, please take the time, it’s really important! It’s not a circular, it’s from me!
3rd Public Consultation Wednesday 26th March, Assembly Rooms, Town Hall any time between 4.00pm-9.30pm Thursday 27th March, Southover Grange any time between 3.30pm -7.30pm I am writing to you because if the development goes ahead as planned, it will change the face of our town for ever. We will lose the theatre and rehearsal spaces, music studios and makers’ workshops, the venues where our kids make music, dance, act and skate, and the practical small businesses we need. We ARE in need of more housing but not so much it, that it completely displaces the vibrant infrastructure that keeps Lewes alive and kicking. I personally support the kind of development originally proposed by the Lewes Community Land Trust and am going to fight for it: a gradual development plan with the intention of keeping some of the historic buildings, supporting the businesses and creative industries currently on site by improving the buildings which could be renovated, creating smaller housing clusters and live work spaces - all done with a mind to sustainable, innovative and green development.
The Phoenix/North St Estate (7 acres), from Waitrose all along the river (opposite Tesco) to the Pells, though mostly occupied is rather run down and tatty due to years of limbo. Developers with an eye for huge potential profits have been trying for some years to convert the site into housing, retail and offices. In February 2012 the Santon Group purchased it. The previous owner of the site, Charles Style, facing huge opposition from Lewes townspeople, delayed his planning application until property prices fell through the floor in 2009, and he went bankrupt. Santon picked up the site for a song. Santon and their personnel are responsible (under different names) for a number of previous development disasters. The New England site in Brighton is a well-known visual blight. The Baxter’s Printworks site in Lewes was over-intensive, badly built and left unfinished. Their new builds have been largely supermarkets, not sensitive urban centres. At Santon’s 1st consultation, the people of Lewes’ priority preference was for: housing for our new generation who have nowhere in the town to live, creative industry space, and sustainable development. That is to say: affordable housing, affordable workspace, low carbon buildings and renewable energy. Did they listen? Yes there is some affordable housing (still 80% of market price) and talk of heat pumps, but there are problems too: The homogenous style of the housing. The plan to build a flood wall and raise the ground level by a metre(with tens of thousands of tons of concrete) thereby displacing millions of gallons of water which will have to go elsewhere. The impact of hundreds more vehicles in the town centre and rat runs through back streets. Santon’s intention to sell off building plots to the highest bidder once they have outline planning permission. This could mean further loss of control and influence over the development, as one developer after another interprets the plans as they see fit in order to increase profit margins. Minimal provision for creative industry space Creative industry space in the Phoenix Estate: A recent visitor from the Arts Council said “nothing like this exists in the entire country”.
1
The 3rd and final public consultation regarding the massive housing development in the middle of Lewes (the Phoenix/North St Industrial estate) is this week. In essence, this is up to 400 houses, a 750 place car park, a health centre and some retail/office/workshop units replacing the big warehousing and old brick buildings of the Phoenix Iron works. The buildings to be demolished currently house lots of community and cultural enterprises, workshops and studios, and some light industry (see my survey below). Please please go and look at the plans and have your say. It’s never too late to change things!
A brief bit of history:
2
I have a studio, where I work and teach art, in the centre of the Phoenix estate. Recently I carried out a foot survey of the area and was again astonished by the variety and quantity of community enterprises and creative industries and activities. It’s like a Moroccan souk of artists and makers, designers, engineers, musicians, inventors and more. In 2012 when the core strategy went to vote at the council, a petition was set up asking it to protect the arts and small businesses on the estate. Over 2000 people signed in less than four days. Meetings with Lewes councillors followed and they expressed amazement at the diversity and quality of what is happening on the site. From Olympic and ParaOlympics installations to a business being a fundamental part of channel 4’s Amazing Spaces, the site has attracted some of the top creative people in the country. I would be very happy to show any of you around. At present there are: 10 Community enterprises (arts, educational, social and charitable) such as Starfish Music Studios, the Skatehouse, Furniture Now, Community Chef, the Dance Academy etc. 16 Venues (theatre, galleries, performance and rehearsal space) at Zu Studios, the Phoenix Theatre, the Foundry Gallery etc. 92 Workshops/Studios such as the Foundry Workshops, Pop-up studios, Café Des Artiste, Another Fine Mesh, William Hardie Design etc. 152 artists, makers, designers, musicians, restorers, performers and staff work in these enterprises 1,817 people using these facilities p/ week 97,000 sq ft used by these community enterprises, venues and workshops/studios 6 light industrial businesses
the river at Malling Brooks. In amongst the housing and car parking, Santon do have a proposal for a small ‘creative hub’ including some office/retail space and possibly a 5–screen cinema (at the last consultation only 4% wanted the latter). However, the ‘creative hub’ is tiny (20,000-35,000 sq ft) and even smaller once a cinema, office and retail are included, compared to the area currently used by the people above (97,000 sq ft). They clearly don’t understand the nature of the creative, cultural and community enterprises Lewes wants to keep. These enterprises need decent sized work space to make, create, build, rehearse and educate, not little workshops with a shop front (such as the Needlemakers). The current occupants are makers, not sellers and the town needs manufacturing and creativity, not just shops and houses. I find all this really alarming and am going to fight for the development Lewes wants and needs. If it alarms you too, please get involved: forward this email, fill in the questionnaires at the consultation, read-up, write to Norman, the National Park, the newspapers etc. Obviously there is a lot I don’t know – the Council’s new housing commitments, the South Down National Park’s views and planning power, the alternative flood defences Santon are considering etc. - all I do know is that what Santon appear to promise on their website and in conversation with people on the estate, does not match-up with the plans. Chelsea X
9 APRIL 2014 Dear All,
I asked them what would happen if the development, as proposed, went ahead: 7 Community enterprises, 9 venues, 124 studios/ workshops, 4 light industrial businesses have not been offered relocation and say they have nowhere else to go in Lewes that is affordable or suitable. 2 Community enterprises (which include 4 venues and 22 studios) and 1 workshop have been offered relocation but suspect it will not be suitable or affordable. 1 Community enterprise (which includes 5 studios) hopes to be rehoused by LDC. 2 light industrial businesses can afford new premises offered by Santon and will relocate to the other side of
It is our view that Santon’s emerging plans for the development of the Phoenix Estate do not cater for the requirements of the people of Lewes. We are concerned about the quantity, style and affordability of the housing, the lack of community infrastructure and work space, plus the impact of additional traffic and flood defences on surrounding parts of the town. Nor do the plans take into account the need for innovative and sustainable new build that meets a high architectural and environmental design standard. We propose to acquire and develop a portion of the land within the development area, to be funded, built and
managed by the community, for the community. This will be a not-for-profit development providing the following: genuinely affordable homes for local people, work space for manufacturing and creative industries and venues for community activities.
Background: The area around the Phoenix Wharf on the river Ouse has been a centre for industry and manufacturing in Lewes for many years and as such it has played an integral part in our local history and provided generations of Lewes residents with homes and jobs. More recently the warehouses of the old Phoenix Ironworks have been converted into workshops for light industry and studios for the creative industries as well as popular venues for community activity. As such it is a vibrant area with an important economic, educational and recreational function.
- Affordable homes that are designed and built using local skills and materials, for the benefit of local people in perpetuity. - Affordable work spaces that are designed to meet the needs of local industries, workers and the self-employed, including the creative arts and community enterprises that currently operate on the Phoenix Estate. - Community facilities for recreational, social and educational enterprises as well as amenities and open spaces for the new residential community. - Sustainable building: our development, while renovating where possible, will respect the best affordable eco-building standards with regards to low-carbon design, energy efficiency and the use of renewable energy technologies. In this way it will become a showcase for innovative architecture as befits Lewes, “The Gateway to the South Downs National Park.� Our first aim is to raise the money to fund a masterplan for this scheme. This will be designed using expert advice, looking at sympathetic flood management schemes and innovative new build ideas from around the world. If you would like to add your name and some information about yourself to this proposal, please email: lewesphoenixrising@gmail.com
Notwithstanding these positive attributes, the community accepts that the area is in need of regeneration and that there is a pressing need to provide new and affordable housing. As such, we believe a golden opportunity exists to create a landmark development that respects the needs and desires of the community, while enhancing the vibrant and innovative qualities that make Lewes so popular. Lewes has some pressing needs: Sustainable local jobs; affordable and high quality homes; community amenities and appropriate work space for local people. The Phoenix Estate has met these multiple needs for many years and our aim is to safeguard these benefits for future generations. Our Proposal: We plan to raise the funds to acquire and develop a parcel of land on the Phoenix Estate, much of which is
Your name will join those below and we will keep you updated with developments. Please forward this email if it is of interest to you. Andrew Simpson, Director of LCLT Chelsea Renton, Pells resident, artist/teacher
7 MAY 2014 Dear All, The proposal below is for a community-led acquisition of a parcel of land within the Phoenix/North Street development area, for the purpose of building genuinely affordable innovative new homes, live/work space and maintaining and enhancing the industrial and creative quarter at the heart of Lewes.
3
We propose a landmark development that is worthy of the South Downs National Park and the historic town of Lewes (a transition town.) The development would showcase the best of affordable innovative low-carbon design incorporating renewable energy technologies and other sustainable building practices. This could leave Santon with the remit to build the for-profit housing and amenities, all of which we would expect to be subject to equally rigorous planning consent.
still owned by us and managed by the council or owned by local landlords as well as Santon, in order to provide the following:
The proposal is gathering momentum and is being discussed with Lewes District Council, the South Downs National Park Authority (SDNPA) planning department, Santon (the developer) and our MP. We believe there is a window of opportunity if we act fast. We are looking at funding possibilities to create a masterplan for the development and a business plan to see it through. The masterplan will be led by us, the users of the site and local residents, with expert input from community planners and architects.
4
We will submit this plan to the SDNPA in parallel with Santon’s outline planning application, to illustrate the type of development Lewes wants and needs. In order to keep the proposal ‘live’, it is being amended according to your responses and to clarify our vision. Please circulate it widely and add your name by emailing lewesphoenixrising@gmail.com A NEW PROPOSAL It is our view (see undersigned) that Santon’s emerging plans for the development of the Phoenix Estate are not based on a genuine vision for this new community in the town and do not sufficiently satisfy the community benefit requirements of the people of Lewes. The proposed new development displaces industry, limits social and economic diversity through the loss of creative and community enterprises and does not provide sufficient genuinely affordable housing for local people. We are also concerned by the impact of additional traffic on surrounding parts of the town and flood defences that have yet to satisfy local residents. Nor do we consider that the plans take into account the need for innovative and sustainable new build that meets a high architectural and environmental design standard that complements the historic town of Lewes. We therefore propose to acquire and develop a portion of the land within the development area, to be funded, built and managed by the community, for the community. This will be a not-for-profit development that provides homes for local people (for rental at the level of housing benefit) and which creates and adapts affordable work space for creative and light industries and social enterprises. We propose a landmark development that is worthy of the South Downs National Park (SDNPA) and the historic town of Lewes (a transition town). The development would showcase the best elements of community driven
planning and environmentally sustainable construction and development, creating an exemplary scheme of which the town and National Park can be proud. There are a number of Community Interest Companies that can provide potentially the management and development vehicle for this scheme, in partnership with local housing and energy providers, funded by a share issue, social investment and section 106 contributions. We propose to work alongside Lewes District Council, Santon and other landowners in the development area to form a ‘Joint Venture’. This would leave Santon to pursue commercial elements of the scheme once the Joint Venture has secured outline planning consent from the SDNPA. Background: The area around the Phoenix Wharf on the river Ouse has been a centre for industry and manufacturing in Lewes for many years and as such it has played an integral part in our local history and provided generations of Lewes residents with homes and jobs. More recently the old Phoenix Ironworks has been converted into workshops for light industry and studios for the creative industries as well as popular venues for community activity of all ages. As such it is a vibrant area with an important economic, educational and recreational function. Notwithstanding these positive attributes, the community accepts that the area is in need of regeneration and that there is a pressing need to provide new and affordable housing for people in Lewes. Now: We believe a golden opportunity exists to create a ‘living machine’; a landmark sustainable development providing: - Genuinely affordable homes - Building structures that can be internally adapted by the occupants for live/work space - A visually innovative and inspirational creative, industrial and social quarter We plan to raise the funds to acquire and develop the triangle of land immediately to the right of North Street as you enter the Phoenix Estate, which is between the river, Phoenix Causeway and North Street. Within this parcel (about 30% of the total development area) are the
bulk of the creative industry workshops, some light industry and social enterprises and the remaining heritage features and facades of the Phoenix Iron Works. With rationalisation and infill, there is space enough to accommodate outlying workshops and enterprises, create new work space, build adaptable live/work structures and a proportion of LDC’s affordable housing commitments. Our development will be a beacon of:
If you would like to add your name and some information about yourself to this proposal, please email: lewesphoenixrising@gmail.com Your name will join those below and we will update you in 2-3 weeks with how the proposal is progressing. There will be a debate on what is best for the Phoenix/North Street area in the Town Hall, 29th May at 7pm.
26 MAY 2014 Dear All, As you may have seen, posters for the Phoenix/North
Below is a jpeg poster for online use and a PDF version is attached to print off to display in your window. Please forward to as many people as you can to display and let’s see if we can get a full house! Chelsea X
5 JUNE 2014 Dear All, A packed public meeting (300+) at Lewes Town Hall last Thursday saw overwhelming support for the Phoenix Rising Proposal: our community-led not-forprofit development providing innovative, adaptable, sustainable, affordable homes and substantial space for creative/ manufacturing industries and new workshops. The Phoenix Rising Group is now in the process of setting up a Community Interest Company to take forward the plans. Once it’s set up we will be looking for members and supporters to join this new organisation. The South Downs National Park Authority has asked to meet in order to agree how and when we are going to submit our planning application. We have requested a meeting with Santon and Lewes District Council to establish how we are going to work together to bring our plans forward. Have a look at the website to see up-to-date signatories, a snap shot of current enterprises on the Phoenix Estate and to follow developments on the blog. You will shortly be able to see our outline plan: maps, visuals, dwelling typologies, procurement strategy etc. And do keep an eye out for an article in the Sussex Express this Friday about the Public Meeting and an ear open for Arthur Brown’s original song for us: ‘The Phoenix Rising’ – we will put it on the website soon.
5
- Economic sustainability: By ensuring that the site generates genuinely affordable homes and jobs for local people and keeps the manufacturing, creative and social ‘engine room’ at the heart of Lewes, we will be boosting the local economy through employment, leisure and tourism. - Environmental sustainability: We will completely rethink the approach to the site and how it works. We propose an holistic approach to the river, drainage, the generation of power and the use of local materials to create a new model of sustainable development that befits Lewes, “The Gateway to the South Downs National Park.” - Social sustainability: We know that the lack of affordable homes and work spaces are driving people and businesses out of our town. We are very concerned that the current development will amplify this problem. By doing as we suggest and providing what people actually want in terms of living and work space, we could reverse this trend. One of the great joys of Lewes is its social diversity and its creative spirit and we intend to enhance it.
Street public meeting on 29 May at the Town Hall are going up all over town. We have some great panellists lined up - as well as expert witnesses to answer the more nitty-gritty technical questions on planning, development, housing, sustainability etc that the audience may have. Norman Baker is also going to say a few words.
11 JUNE 2014 Dear All,
6
The Phoenix Rising Group is setting up a mechanism to receive funding, donations etc. Once in place we will inform you of the business plan for our planning application. We will be meeting the South Downs National Park planning department on Friday 20th June to discuss our proposal further and establish a PPA (Planning Performance Agreement). Santon and LDC have agreed to meet us to discuss the nature of a Joint Venture, whereby we provide the bulk of the affordable housing and substantial workshop space, and they provide market housing and the remaining affordable. The key concern will be the very challenging issues surrounding infrastructure, as our approach to flooding and underground contamination is very different to that being proposed at present. We will be sending our ‘heads of terms’ to the LDC and Santon this week for discussion at the meeting. We can confirm that Dominic Lawson Bespoke Planning have offered to handle our planning application and we welcome Marnix de Vriend , a Dutch flood management expert who has worked on many major schemes in Holland as well as advising the Environment Agency on flood resilience, to the Phoenix Rising team as our flood management advisor. They join Arup Engineering and CF Moller to form our complete planning and design team. Finally, we would like to reiterate that this is a community-led not-for-profit development. Once a Joint Venture is signed with LDC and Santon, it will be up to all of us to say what we want and see it through. We will be consulting widely in the town. We are particularly concerned to ensure that the affordable housing component of our plans helps to meet the very real and pressing need in Lewes for genuinely affordable housing. Meanwhile, please keep circulating the web address to friends and colleagues and anyone else who might wish to support the Pheonix Rising Proposal. LPR X
21 JUNE 2014 Dear All,
The Phoenix Rising team (including Liz Mandeville, board member of Ovesco and Homelink, and Teva Hesse, Director CF Moller, architects) had a very useful meeting with planning officers of the South Downs National Park Authority on Friday 20th June. The officers welcomed our work, especially as we are seeking to work with Santon and Lewes District Council. We made it very clear that our priorities are to maximise the number of affordable homes provided at the local housing allowance rent level (and not 80% of market rent which is the norm these days) and to maximise the amount of truly affordable workshop and employment space. The officers said that the Santon plans presented in the last public workshops were not of the required standard. You can see the latest Design Review Panel notes (April 2014) on our website. The panel has come to the same conclusions as us: “no overall design strategy […] unconvinced by the underground car park […] poorly defined character and sense of place […] existing buildings should be properly appraised in the mixed use strategy […] design quality inadequate for this important site […] there is greater potential to retain the site’s existing occupants, identity, businesses and uses […] an ambitious, well informed proposal is required” and so on. It is clear that our work is already a vast improvement on the Santon/LDC plans, and we are being encouraged to keep going working on a joint venture with them. Sadly, fixing a date to meet LDC and Santon is proving difficult but we should be able to see them in early July. The SDNPA members/officers have asked for a tour of the current enterprises and industries on the Phoenix estate and a detailed look at the remaining facades and features of the Phoenix Iron Works, both being important elements of the ‘cultural heritage’ the Park is obliged to maintain. We have now established our company limited by guarantee, Lewes Phoenix Rising Ltd. We are completing our strategy to raise funds for preparing our planning application, which needs around £100,000 between now and the end of the year. This is a fraction of the price one would normally expect to spend on a full planning application of 80 odd homes and 20,000 sq ft of work space, with the added complications of underground industrial contamination and flooding. This vastly reduced cost is due to the good will of our team of architects, engineers, planners and flood management
experts, all of whom see the merit in our flagship sustainable development. LPR
4 JULY 2014 Dear All, An update:
We will be meeting with Santon and the LDC on 17th July, the latter will be touring the estate following the meeting (10.30am-12.30am) to see the industries and venues we intend to save. Norman Baker MP will be visiting the estate on the 18th July at 1pm and the SDNPA planning and heritage officers, shortly after. Mondays 6pm-7pm, the Lamb. If you wish to be more involved and get regular updates, do come to this weekly meeting at the Lamb. LPR
11 JULY 2014 Lewes Phoenix Rising has submitted its representations to the LDC on the Lewes District Local Plan, for the deadline of 11th July. These were written with the help of Dominic Lawson Bespoke Planning, with advice from Clive Newberry QC. The latter will represent us at the public consultation meeting in the autumn. As you will be aware, the Local Plan neither acknowledges the existing industries/enterprises on the Phoenix Estate, nor does it take into account the Heritage Assets and
We will need the help of all existing site users over the next weeks, to complete our economic, cultural and heritage surveys to present at the consultation. Our comments and redrafted Local Plan is attached and on the Lewes Phoenix Rising website. Best wishes, The Phoenix Rising Team
18 JULY 2014 Lewes Phoenix Rising meeting with LDC/Santon On Thursday 17th July, the Lewes Phoenix Rising (LPR) team met with members of the Lewes District Council and Clive Wilding of Santon. The purpose of the meeting was to present our proposals and discuss how we can work together. The meeting was followed by a tour of the industries and enterprises on the Phoenix estate. We are very pleased to say that we have reached agreement to explore how we might work together. To achieve this, Santon and the LDC have agreed to further meetings with Lewes Phoenix Rising for which they will need to give us access to their evolving development plans, so that we can ensure that our proposals to increase the amount of affordable housing and workshop space can be integrated with the Santon/LDC plan for the rest of the site. Our first meeting with Santon is planned for Friday 25th July. We hope that after this meeting we will be in a position to do more detailed work on our business plan and investment strategy alongside the work that Santon/ LDC are doing to address the concerns of the South Downs National Park planners with their existing plans. Meanwhile we will be launching a funding appeal next week to finance the next stage of our work. Please note,
7
Saturday 5th July: The Phoenix Rising will be represented tomorrow at the Lewes Societies Fair, tomorrow 10am – 1pm at the Town Hall. Do come along to be updated on how the plan is progressing and if you wish to buy Arthur Brown’s CD – ‘Lewes Developer Blues’ and ‘Phoenix Rising’, all profits towards our planning application. . The Phoenix Rising group is working on the business plan and financial model for our build and we are meeting with our legal team next week.
and the long industrial history. We have therefore submitted this evidence for the planners’ consideration. This crucial omission was the trigger for the Phoenix Rising initiative 2 years ago, when Samira Harris of Zu Studios organised a public lobby of LDC under the name ‘Save the Phoenix’.
all work to date has been done pro bono because we and our consultants believe in the Lewes Phoenix Rising proposal. Meeting attendees:
8
Nazeya Hussain, Director of Regeneration and Business Strategy for Lewes District Council Councillor Tom Jones, lead councillor for planning and member of the South Downs National Park Authority Leighton Rowe, Housing officer for Lewes District Council Edward Sheath, Head of Strategy for Lewes District Council Clive Wilding, Land Director for Santon Chelsea Renton, Dir.of LPR Andrew Simpson, Dir.of LPR Liz Mandeville, LPR Affordable Housing Hussein Dickie, LPR Business Strategy Patrick Holmes, LPR Property Development Lawyer) Teva Hesse, Dir. of CF Moller Architects and LPR masterplanner Robin Van Creveld, MD Community Chef, Phoenix Estate Paul Bellack, Non Exec Dir. the Ethical Property Company
under threat. There are currently 50 businesses (including 85 workshops and 13 venues), providing 450 jobs. The vast majority have nowhere to go if the site is demolished; - To develop the site ethically and sustainably: renovate, infill and adapt the existing warehouses of the old Phoenix Ironworks for workshops and enterprises; and provide a complete reappraisal of the flood management strategy, looking to flood resilience rather than defence. So, what have we been doing? Over the past four months, the Lewes Phoenix Rising Team have produced an Outline Development Plan (including housing and workshop strategy, dwelling assessment and layout, a procurement and management strategy, and site remediation); surveyed all businesses on the estate; made representations on the Local Plan of the LDC Core Strategy; established an internationally respected team of consultants; and publicised and campaigned. Lewes Phoenix Rising now has 600+ signed-up supporters and the number grows daily. As a result of these efforts, Lewes Phoenix Rising, LDC and Santon agreed on 17 July 2014 to explore the possibility of working together, with the aim of developing a mutually acceptable outline planning application.
Friends of Lewes Phoenix Rising: Funding a financial plan and business strategy for the Phoenix Estate.
For this process to be successful, we now have to put together a comprehensive acquisition strategy and business plan for the part of the site we wish to develop and for the build and management of the Phoenix Workshops and affordable housing.
Dear All,
To find out more, visit http://lewesphoenixrising.com
Lewes Phoenix Rising Ltd is a community-led, not-forprofit, development company. It was established earlier this year with the intention of ensuring that plans by Lewes District Council (LDC) and Santon to redevelop the Phoenix Estate (the ‘North Street Quarter’) provide genuine, sustainable, community benefit for the town and district.
Become a Friend of Lewes Phoenix Rising:
23 JULY 2014
We have 3 main goals: - To provide 40% of the housing as adaptable, welldesigned new homes at social and affordable rents; - To provide suitable, substantial and affordable workshop space to save some of the jobs and businesses
The next stage of this process will take a huge amount of work and research. While Lewes Phoenix Rising Team and consultants have been working pro bono for the last four months, and many will continue to do so or at reduced rates – we now need funds to develop our plans and continue the necessary publicity and campaigning. We are therefore seeking financial donations as well as applying for grants. How you can help: To be able to fund the next stage of our work, we
estimate we need to raise £6,000 a month for the next six months. If you can make a monthly standing order of £10 – or more, it would make a massive difference to what we can do. And of course, one-off contributions are also extremely welcome. As a thank you, we’ll be holding a Lewes Phoenix Rising party on the Phoenix Estate for all our Friends at the end of the year! Ways to donate:
- Donate via PayPal at http://lewesphoenixrising.com (please note - a percentage of every contribution is deducted by PayPal) - Donate by cheque made out to ‘Lewes Phoenix Rising’ and send to: Old Foundry Workshops, 32 North St, Lewes, BN7 2PH Thank you for your ongoing support. The Lewes Phoenix Rising Team
6 SEPTEMBER 2014 Dear All, Lewes Phoenix Rising is now developing its proposals at the request of Lewes District Council and Santon. We have previously provided them with our outline development plan and costings model. They have now asked for our fully-costed plans and cash flow, in terms of how we intend to fund and deliver a viable scheme in line with Policy SP3 from the Joint Core Strategy, which also recognises and accords with other policy and guidance, such as the Council’s housing policies. To this end, we will be providing the following: Affordable Social Housing: costings, management method and designs for innovative new build for social housing run along coop/social housing model, with an asset lock. Workshops: renovation/infill costs, funding model and visuals for the triangle of land of the old Phoenix Ironworks – the Phoenix ‘Industrious’ Estate. This will preserve our industrial heritage and provide a
We have asked the LDC/Santon to provide us with the necessary information regarding their new plans, of which we know nothing, to ensure that we are not working on a speculative basis and that we are well integrated in terms of infrastructure etc. and mutually policy compliant. This is a substantial and costly amount of work. In order to help fund it, we have approached the Homes and Communities Agency. They have indicated that our proposals are consistent with their policy drivers around localism and community engagement in local developments, and they will consider favourably any application for a grant so long as we have the support of the LDC. We fully expect LDC support for our grant application, as it is towards the costs of work they have asked us to do. Meanwhile we will continue to fundraise towards this cost. There will be further meetings next week between our social housing, architecture/design/planning and costings teams, after which we will be able to give you the full figure we need to raise in order to cover this crucial stage of the process. A huge THANK YOU to all those who have donated so far. If you wish to help towards the costs of developing the Lewes Phoenix Rising plans, please visit the website for information on how to donate. Our accounts will be published regularly on the website. Other news: LPR has started discussion with possible investors, including The Ethical Property Company. LPR and Santon are working together to formulate a survey/questionnaire for the Phoenix Estate to understand the business/workshop interconnections. This is a direct result of the visits we arranged earlier in the Summer, by the SDNPA, Santon and LDC, at which ALL remarked upon the strong web of cooperation and interlinks across the Phoenix Estate in terms of collaboration, shared equipment and spaces, exchange of ideas/skills etc. New additions to the Lewes Phoenix Rising Team:
9
You can support Lewes Phoenix Rising by: - Setting up a standing order on your bank account Lewes Phoenix Rising, Account No. 64906419, Sort Code 09-01-28
substantial number of affordable workshops, venues for community and educational enterprises plus some live/ work space.
Richard Moore joins the LPR management team. Richard is a former NHS manager and freelance consultant. He was a Trustee and Chair of South Downs CVS and then 3VA. Alan Thompson is an architect who was until recently Head of Design Review for CABE (Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment). Will Anderson is a 5th year architecture student at Peterhouse, Cambridge based in Firle, with a specific interest in localism and affordable housing.
10
If you would like to be involved do get in touch. Events: Friday 12th September ‘Phoenix Rising’ fundraiser At Café des Artistes, Phoenix Estate. Great music! 8pm2am Sat 13th-Sun 21st September ‘ Make Lewes Festival’ www.makinglewes.org A festival of making, architecture and sustainable design. Including a presentation by Teva Hesse (CF Moller Architects and head of LPR Design Team) and Lewes Phoenix Rising in the Housing Futures seminar on 21st Sept in the Town Hall. Thank you for your support, do please keep circulating the Lewes Phoenix Rising proposal.
23 SEPTEMBER 2014 Dear All, Next Steps & The £36,000 Appeal. Lewes Phoenix Rising (LPR) aim: to ensure people can live and work affordably in the centre of our town, now and in the future. We intend to maintain and enhance our manufacturing and creative heritage through the innovative renovation of the old Phoenix Ironworks, providing genuinely affordable new homes and substantial space for workshops and community enterprises.
i) Delivery of the LPR Masterplan ii) Masterplan ‘Housing’ iii) Masterplan ‘The Phoenix workshops’ iv) Funding Appeal v) How to donate i. Delivering the LPR Masterplan: At the request of Lewes District Council (LDC) and Santon, the LPR team and its consultants have been developing our architectural plans and costings model to produce a viable draft Masterplan. This will be presented to LDC/Santon in early November. We will continue to work on the plan throughout November in order to bring it to you, for your input, at a series of consultations around the town in December 2014. Key elements of our Masterplan are: ii. Housing As part of the Masterplan we will present our design review of Santon’s proposed development. Taking inspiration from the urban character found in Lewes’ historic town centre, rather than following the more recent trend for low-density suburban cul-de-sacs, we will demonstrate that we can have a far more attractive and eco-friendly development that encourages pedestrian movement, neighbourly interaction and creates a much more interesting use of space. It is essential that at least 40% of the housing on the North St/Phoenix development is genuinely affordable. We will be presenting costs and plans for additional work/live homes at affordable rents plus the results of our extensive analysis into genuinely affordable rents for Lewes and the types of housing that must be built to meet this need now and in the future. iii. The Phoenix Workshops A re-examination of the current scheme will release land in order to save a substantial number of businesses and jobs. There are over 50 businesses on the site (generating more than 450 jobs), the vast majority of which still have nowhere to relocate if Santon’s current plans are approved. We intend to maintain and celebrate our manufacturing and creative heritage through innovative renovation of the old Phoenix Ironworks to provide approximately three acres of affordable space for workshops, enterprises and work/live homes. We will deliver costings and visuals to show how these rundown warehouses can be transformed into a thriving and visually inspiring centre of manufacturing, training, the arts and enterprises; a humming economic and social centre of which we can be proud. We will be presenting
our Masterplan for this area to potential investors, in order to acquire it for the town.
Thank you for your ongoing support. The Lewes Phoenix Rising Team
iv. Funding these next steps – The £36,000 Appeal: The LPR team and consultants have worked hard, donating time and resources for no payment for the past six months because they believe in what we are doing. See our website for progress and work to date http://lewesphoenixrising.com . Going forward, the professional team have agreed to accept considerably reduced fees and will still be offering much of their time on a pro-bono basis.
v. How to donate: If you would like to contribute to the £36,000 appeal, you can do so in the following ways: Set up a standing order on your bank account Lewes Phoenix Rising, Account No. 64906419, Sort Code 09-01-28 Donate via PayPal at http://lewesphoenixrising.com (please note - a percentage of every contribution is deducted by PayPal) Donate by cheque made out to ‘Lewes Phoenix Rising’ and send to: Old Foundry Workshops, 32 North St, Lewes, BN7 2PH Our full accounts will be published on www. lewesphoenixrising.com in due course.
Dear All, Coming soon! The Lewes Phoenix Rising Proposal & Roadshow. As you’ll know, Lewes Phoenix Rising was asked in August by Santon and Lewes District Council (LDC) to produce a full masterplan, plus costings and a cashflow model, for our alternative development plan for the North St/Phoenix area. The Lewes Phoenix Rising team and our consultants have been working hard and have been in discussion with LDC and Santon as our plan develops. We are now pleased to announce that we will present our masterplan and financial model to Santon, LDC and other key stakeholders in Lewes on Friday 14th November. In December we will take our plans on a roadshow around Lewes to consult fully with you and the rest of the town. We’ll be explaining why genuinely affordable housing and workspace is so essential to Lewes and its economy. Plus there will be a chance to see our plans to preserve our industrial heritage through the renovation and refurbishment of the old Phoenix Ironworks. There will be architects’ drawings, site-planning studies, a film, 3D model - and lots more. Dates and venues for the roadshow will be available soon. Please give your support. In the meantime, we continue to fund raise to help cover some of the cost of the work done to date (all of which has been done pro bono, or at vastly reduced rates) and the roadshow itself. If you can make a contribution towards this vital work, please visit our website and donate. We are now at a critical stage of our proposal and the next two months will determine our success. Please help us make something amazing in Lewes together we can make it happen. And do please tell others, who might wish to support us, that they can sign up via the website. Thank you for your generosity and continued support.
11
To complete the draft Masterplan to an exemplary standard and to enable us to show you what the Phoenix Estate COULD be, we would like to make some payment to this brilliant team of engineers, designers, architects, planners, surveyors (see website). We do also need to cover some management costs, campaign and publicity expenses at this crucial stage of the process. We are very grateful to all those who have already made substantial donations and we are currently applying for grants (some of which can be applied retrospectively). However we would like to call again on our signatories for any financial support you feel able to afford. We need to raise a total of £36,000 to complete our Masterplan - a fraction of the normal cost for a project of this scale. We are already part of the way to reaching this target. However, if all our 920 signatories were to give something we would get there very quickly. We will of course keep you updated with our fund-raising progress.
22 OCTOBER 2014
4 DECEMBER 2014
19 DECEMBER 2014
Dear Supporter
Dear All,
The Roadshow is this week - don’t miss it!
The LPR Roadshow was buzzing. Around 700 people came to see and comment on the display at Lewes House, Nevill, Landport, Malling and the Linklater Pavilion. On show, we had the Masterplan for the site and campaign film, both of which you can see on our website.
12
After months of work, this week will see Lewes Phoenix Rising publicly consult on its enhanced redevelopment proposals for the Phoenix Estate. Our five-stop roadshow starting at Lewes House tomorrow (see all dates below) is an opportunity for everyone to have their say and shape what we’re doing. This is a critical point in our campaign to show Santon and Lewes District Council we are viable development partners and that our proposals have the support of the town. We need YOUR help to make the roadshow a success. So, please: 1. Forward this email to everyone who’ll be interested 2. Promote the roadshow on Facebook and Twitter 3. Print off this linked PDF Poster and put in your window. (This link downloads a PDF Version for Printing) We look forward to seeing you at the roadshow. Many thanks for your continued support, The Lewes Phoenix Rising team
11 DECEMBER 2014 Dear Supporter, Just a reminder that our final public consultation event is on Friday 12 December at Landport Youth Centre, Landport Road, BN7 2SU, 5pm to 9pm. Come and see full details of our alternative redevelopment proposals for the Phoenix Industrial Estate - including the full masterplan, a 3-D model, animated fly-through - plus the new Lewes Phoenix Rising film. Hundreds of people have attended the roadshow so far. Come and join in, share your views and help us shape something amazing in Lewes. Thanks for your support. The Phoenix Rising Team
In addition there was a 10 minute animated fly-through of the site, industrial heritage display, business and interconnections surveys, eco-approach display, 3D model of the Phoenix Ironworks showing the heritage roof structures, buildings and the live/work micro homes, plus visuals of innovative affordable housing for visitors to choose their preferences. We’d like to thank everyone for taking the time to fill in the feedback forms with their encouraging support and valued suggestions. We will put the results on the website in the New Year, along with the additional materials on display at the Roadshow. The Masterplan clearly demonstrates that by building close-knit homes in keeping with our historic town centre and thus creating a more neighbourly environment, that all the housing required by policy (390) can be built on the site, plus an additional 48 genuinely affordable homes at social rents and the buildings of the Phoenix Ironworks can be preserved and renovated to provide substantial affordable space for businesses and enterprises. Regrettably, neither the developer (Santon) nor Lewes District Council (with the exception of some very supportive Councillors) have responded to the Masterplan. This, despite their request in May, that we would need to show them how to achieve the above if they were to engage with us. They have however invited us to discuss a small element of the scheme: the provision of ‘creative’ workspace. Santon will be displaying their revised plans for the site, the first consultation since March, on December the 22nd to Town Councillors and the Steering Group of the Neighbourhood Plan (of which we are members). We will be looking for: - Substantial and suitable provision of affordable space for workshops, businesses and community enterprises (there are at present 50 odd businesses and 450 jobs on the Phoenix estate); - Substantial provision of genuinely affordable housing;
- Preservation of the heritage buildings and structures of the old Phoenix Ironworks; - Genuine partnership and consultation with the community on the development of the site; - A forward-thinking development focusing on economic and social diversity, environmental sustainability and a vision that serves the current need and that of future generations.
This is the first part of our strategy for 2015 to challenge the current approach to the Phoenix Estate. The team is now working on the rest of our plans for this year, which we will let you know about in the next week or so. Happy New Year to everyone and, as ever, thank you for your continued support and encouragement. The LPR Team
23 JANUARY 2015 Dear All, Santon/LDC latest plans – and our response.
So, it’s been a busy year. Thank you to the recent fundraisers (Zu Choir concert at the Dance Academy and the Body Synergy Vintage Circus Disco at Cafe des Artistes) and do book your kids on the fundraising theatre workshops in late December at www. intrepidtheatre.org.uk. Please keep the support coming and spread the word if you believe that communities can and should be the major player when development will affect the way they live and work. Happy Christmas! Lewes Phoenix Rising team
6 JAN 2015
On 22 December, we saw commercial developer Santon and Lewes District Council (LDC)’s updated plans for the development of the Phoenix Estate. This was their last display before submitting a planning application (which is imminent). They have responded in a very limited way to the LPR proposals, which they requested in May 2014 and on which we consulted the town in December. In our plans, we proposed, designed and costed a portion of the site to be put aside for community benefit to provide 48 genuinely affordable rental homes/live-work units and the renovation of the Phoenix Ironworks for affordable workspace for current and future businesses, start-ups and social enterprises. What’s changed to the LDC/Santon plan?
Dear All, The Lewes District Local Plan is about to be examined in public by a planning inspector. The examination lasts two weeks, starting on 20 January, and takes place in the
Overall plan: since the badly received March 2014 consultation, there is very little obvious change other than an improvement in housing design and a small increase in employment space. It remains a standard,
13
We will get back to you in the New Year with our analysis of their revised plan and our next steps if their plan is not sufficient. Meanwhile, the Local Plan for the area goes to examination in public by a planning inspector in January. LPR has made representations as we do not believe the plan is sound due to the omission of current industry and heritage buildings (we believe it should be a mixed-use site, not primarily residential). If you wish to attend the examination, the policy for North Street is being considered on 22 January from 9.30am. The meeting is being held in the East Platinum Lounge of the Amex Stadium, Falmer, Brighton BN1 9BL. LPR has applied for an emergency preservation order on the old Phoenix Ironworks buildings and structures to enable an investigation of their heritage status. LPR has prepared applications for some of the enterprises on site to be registered as Assets of Community Value (for submission in January).
East Platinum Lounge (you couldn’t make it up!) at the Amex Stadium. The plan for North Street is will be looked at on Thursday 22 January, from 9.30am. Everyone is welcome to attend. Lewes Phoenix Rising (LPR) will be represented in the discussion, led by the inspector, about the policy for North Street and Eastgate. Our position is set out in the attached statement and appendices. We believe that we have strong arguments to over-turn the existing policy which will in turn severely hamper the Santon/LDC planning application.
commercial development with little reference to the unique requirements of Lewes, the largest town in a National Park in the country.
14
Housing: the affordable provision is very vague. The proportion of affordable housing has increased to nearer the target of 40% but there are no guarantees and the definition of “affordable” remains the conventional one of 80% of market rent (or equivalent in terms of shared ownership) which we know is not actually affordable in Lewes. We fear that whatever has been agreed will get watered down with time; commercial developers are very good at wriggling out of delivering affordable housing. Business/work space: the business/retail space, including some workshops for ‘creative businesses’, is under residential/offices or in the ‘atrium’ of the proposed health centre. Again, the provision is very unclear in terms of quantity, cost, design and suitability for the manufacturing and light industrial businesses, youth venues and social enterprises currently on site. In any case, all would have to relocate during the demolition and construction process with inevitable disruption, unnecessary cost and loss of business during the development period. The Foundry Buildings: the heritage buildings of the Phoenix Ironworks will be demolished, in order to make space for the huge underground car park (more than required by policy for the site) and flood defence. They have not responded to our argument to renovate them to keep current businesses and enterprises in situ and open them up to create an exciting place to visit.
for small businesses and self-employment. In a survey of some of the creative/manufacturing businesses we conducted with Santon in November 2014, 55 of the 59 respondents said that it would be ‘problematic’ or ‘very problematic’ for their business if they had to move off the Phoenix Estate. So what are we doing next? We are in talks with Santon and LDC about their workspace and affordable housing, but until they offer us a mutually acceptable solution, we will: SEEK INVESTMENT to fund a community acquisition of part of the site. CAMPAIGN to increase public awareness and seek support for an innovative and progressive development of which we can all be proud. If there is anywhere in Britain, with the talent, energy and guts to make this happen...surely it’s Lewes. IMPROVE OUR DESIGNS for how WE would develop the estate by incorporating the extensive feedback from our December roadshow. More to come soon, including what happened on January 22nd at the planning inspection of the policy for the site at which we presented our arguments. Meanwhile please keep supporting us, spread the word and DONATE – we cannot continue without your financial support. Every penny helps. Lewes Phoenix Rising Team
And what does the town want? Of the 700 or so visitors to our roadshow in December, over 330 filled survey forms with the following key responses:
27 JANUARY 2015 Dear All,
96.7% thought the Phoenix Ironworks should be retained and renovated. 86.7% thought it would be right to increase the density of housing on the site, to create close-knit, sustainable and more neighbourly homes, thus releasing the area of the Ironworks for a community development of genuinely affordable homes and workspace. 87.4% felt it was ‘very important’ to provide workspace
Summary: LPR argues for a Masterplan for the North St/Eastgate areas and makes progress increasing the workspace provision in the local plan, shifting the balance away from ‘office’ space towards light industry. On 22nd of January, LPR attended the examination of the Local Plan of the Joint Core Strategy – the Lewes District Council (LDC) and South Downs National Park (SDNPA) document on development in the LDC area.
We were there specifically for discussion on SP3 – the North Street/Eastgate area. This is conducted by a planning inspector and is an examination of the draft policy for the development, NOT an inspection of planning applications on the site. We submitted representations on the plan, and therefore had a place at the table to argue our points. Other attendees were Clifford Dann (on behalf of Santon), the SDNPA, LDC, Friends of Lewes, amongst others.
The need for a Masterplan for SP3. We believe a site of this importance, the biggest development in a National Park in Britain, must have a Masterplan to ensure that development is coherent, has long-term vision and community support. The SDNPA and LDC have just withdrawn this requirement from the Local Plan. Their reasoning being it could take 12 months and would delay imminent planning applications. In other words, it has been over-ridden by the needs of commercial developers – Santon and Waitrose. We will have to wait till the inspector publishes his report, to see if we were heard. Business/retail space: We made progress with the definition of the mixed-use space on the site, as it is important to firm-it up in terms of use. The proposed amendments are that ‘commercial’ need becomes ‘market’ and that the provision of business space is ‘at least 5,000 m2’ with the emphasis on ‘office’ removed (Santon are proposing 4-5,000 m2). This is quite a change, and should shift the balance from a “residential led” to a more mixed scheme. The SDNPA will have to ‘consult members’ on this amendment and no doubt the LDC will wriggle. But it does mean, if the inspector stands by it, that the provision for the type of business we want - manufacturing, workshops, social and creative enterprise space – will be stronger and bigger. This is all very dry – but an important step. We need to campaign hard now –raise public awareness, make this an election issue and promote our alternative plan for a forward thinking, sustainable development. The LDC/Santon planning application will be submitted in February and worryingly the consultation/examination period has dropped from 24 to 16 weeks. So we have a
Lewes Phoenix Rising team
10 FEBURAY 2015 IS LEWES POSH AND RICH? A lot of people think so, but they are less than half right: the town is divided very sharply between the prosperous and the struggling. The disparity between wages and rents in the District is one of the very largest in the country. Well-paying jobs are at a premium, social housing has been cut sharply, and many people simply cannot afford to rent privately, even on Housing Benefit, because of the additional cost of a deposit and the extra fees many agents impose. A mere 30% of people offered a loan by a local homelessness charity, to be used for a deposit and the first month’s rent, actually take up the offer; the evidence is that they cannot find anywhere suitable, or are rejected for want of a guarantor with £30,000 p/a – or simply for being on benefits. Lewes District Council and Santon are less than open about what exactly they would do about ‘affordable housing’ in the 400 or so homes proposed on the ‘North Street Quarter’ development. We simply do not know how many units they would provide, or what the rent would be, and we don’t think they know either. The 40% ‘desired’ in the Local Plan is unlikely to be achieved – affordable housing numbers shrink as developments progress and other costs and profit take priority – and in any case, the vast majority of this housing will be at an unaffordable 80% of market rate. We believe the only way to ensure genuine affordability is for us, the local community, to build and deliver homes ourselves. The Lewes Phoenix Rising masterplan for the Phoenix Estate demonstrates that it is possible to build a further 48 homes at genuinely affordable rents – around 50% of market price – for the people who most need them. These are part of our plan for a community development of the 3.5 acres of Phoenix Place for homes and work space, as part of the wider site. We will build 1and 2-bed units, some of them live/work, because these are the homes in shortest supply. We can carry out these plans at reasonable rents by using ethical investment
15
The Local Plan as currently drafted is quite vague and therefore easy for developers to interpret according to their own commercial need. We believe it needs tightening to ensure the Town gets what it needs. Two main points:
lot to do and fast!
and tried and tested modern sustainable building technologies that both reduce costs and allow flexibility of design, self-finish and high energy efficiency. Our homes will not be sold to private purchasers, but will remain assets for the people of Lewes District, using income as a criterion for occupation. We are all local people, and we want the town and the district to flourish. Low-cost homes and workspace will keep our town socially and economically diverse and enable it, and us, to thrive.
16
Liz Mandeville Trustee, Lewes Phoenix Rising Trustee, Lewes HomeLink (charity for the homeless)
17 FEBUARY 2015 “...they can move to Newhaven” This is the response we at Lewes Phoenix Rising have heard on a number of occasions from some Lewes District Council (LDC) officers and members, in response to our concerns regarding the lack of suitable or affordable space for small businesses and social enterprises if their development plans for the Phoenix Estate go through. Newhaven’s gain would be our loss. International experience shows that the most successful and economically resilient towns are often those that have a unique identity and where there is close collaboration between locally-based enterprises and skills. Lewes just so happens to have a historical economy and cultural heritage of light industry, manufacturing, arts and design, backstage industries, ideas and creative and social enterprise. These are the businesses that exist now on the Phoenix Estate and elsewhere in the town.
offices recognises the requirements of such an industry. Yes, we need small spaces for studios but we also need places where a designer can weld, a carpenter can use machinery, a band can rehearse, a bonfire society can make a tableau, we can train and educate and young people can start up, affordably, on their own. And they need stability and proximity to each other. Around 450 people are currently employed in the area bound by the proposed development. In October 2014 we conducted a survey with Santon to understand the interconnections (shared machinery, space, services, skills and ideas) between the ‘creative’ businesses on the Phoenix Estate. 80% said the interconnections with other businesses were important or very important; 83% said moving out of the Phoenix Estate would be problematic or very problematic; The top 3 reasons for basing their businesses on the Phoenix Estate were: price, size of space and location. LPR has developed and costed a plan to renovate the buildings of the old Phoenix Ironworks to provide substantial affordable space, with an additional 48 affordable rental homes and live/work units for those who need them most, to live and work in the centre of town. We want the new development to have a vibrant heart, where Lewes’ creative and independent energy is given free rein, protecting its unique identity and allowing its economy to thrive and grow. Without this, Lewes could be little more than an expensive commuter town providing bijou studios, retail, housing and trade parks. We will indeed have to go to Newhaven or elsewhere (as many already have) to live affordably, set up a workshop, get something made or have fun. And the very reason why so many moved here - or chose to stay here - will be gone. Chelsea Renton
We should blow on this spark and create a flame – an economy that will see us into the 21st century, nurturing our identity, providing jobs, apprenticeships, opportunities for young people and a reason to visit the town, other than to admire the architecture. We do not believe the current Santon/LDC plan to provide some ground-floor space under residential and
Lewes Phoenix Rising
26 FEBURARY 2015 Dear All,
NEWS! LPR announces formal planning application – and we need your help.
Account No: 64906419 Sort-Code: 09-01-28 Ref: Monthly Or, a good old-fashioned cheque will be equally acceptable, made payable to ‘Lewes Phoenix Rising Ltd’. Send it to: LPR, Old Foundry Studios, 32 North Street, Lewes, East Sussex, BN7 2PH
Why are we doing this when we don’t own the land? We want to give the planning authority, the South Downs National Park (SDNP), an exemplary scheme to consider in parallel with the scheme to be submitted by the owners of the Phoenix Industrial Estate, commercial developer Santon (60%) and Lewes District Council (40%). We believe the community has the right to ensure that the development delivers what we need: genuinely affordable housing and workspace. Clearly, the only way to do this is to design, build and deliver these elements ourselves. We intend to acquire this part of the site for a not-for-profit community development and this outline plan is what we would deliver. We are taking this plan to ethical development investors to secure the future of Phoenix Place. We had a very helpful meeting with the SDNP planning officer on 18th February, at which we established the remaining work required. We will do this for far less than the normal commercial cost, as we have the pro bono or reduced fees support of an expert team and local volunteers. However the costs and planning fees are still substantial. We therefore need to raise at least £20,000 over the next 2 months.
One-off Contribution: if a one-off donation is more your thing, then you can either use the PayPal link at the end of this email or do a direct transfer using the bank details above. (Ref: One-off) Fundraising Events: If you don’t feel any of the options above are for you, but you could put your talents towards arranging a fund-raising event for us, then please go ahead. A concert, pub quiz, fun run, coffee morning – whatever takes your fancy. We are planning several fundraising events of our own over the coming months. The first of these will be a Quiz Night at the Needlemakers on Thursday 19th March. Look out for more details very soon on our website, Facebook and Twitter. We hope these events will generate more funds towards what will probably continue to be an expensive process, but we are convinced we must act decisively, thoroughly and quickly towards ensuring long-term affordable work and living space in the heart of Lewes. We hope you can help! Amanda Deadman and Richard Moore
Can you help us? LPR Finance Team Many of you have already made generous donations already, whether on a monthly basis or as one-off gifts for which we are very grateful as they have enabled us to reach this point. To build on this and continue to move forward, we have a number of fundraising options:
14 MARCH 2015 Dear Supporters,
Monthly Donations If all our signatories were to commit £5 per month for
You may have noticed that the Santon/LDC planning application for the Phoenix Estate/North Street has now
17
Lewes Phoenix Rising is very pleased to announce that we are to submit a formal outline planning application for part of the North Street/Phoenix development site. We have started fund-raising for the £20,000 required to bring our Masterplan for Phoenix Place (3.5 acres of the 15 acre site) up to the level of detail required, for submission in April 2015. This will provide 48 genuinely affordable rental homes and substantial work and social enterprise space within the renovated buildings of the Phoenix Ironworks.
3 months, we’d have over £18,000. If everyone were to commit £10 per month for 2 months, we’d have nearly £25,000. We understand that not everyone is in a position to do this, but if you would like to, then either use the PayPal link at the bottom of this email, or set up a standing order using these bank details:
been submitted. On first perusal, there are some superficial improvements in design, as demanded by the South Downs National Park (SDNPA), though we are perplexed by the demolition of the usable industrial buildings of the Phoenix Ironworks, merely to be replaced by pastiche signage on buildings such as ‘Shed 2’. We are glad to see that they have responded to the concerns regarding affordable housing, which has been bumped up to 40%, though the vast majority appears still to be at an inaffordable 80% of market rate.
18
We will be examining it in depth looking for: A guaranteed provision of genuinely affordable homes. Social housing. Retention of some existing buildings as requested by the SDNPA. A genuinely mixed-use site, providing suitable and affordable space for light industry, manufacturing, creative and community enterprises and youth venues. A scheme that actively reduces the need for car use and enables residents to live and work in the same area. Adaptation potential for flooding and climate change. Innovative and sustainable build. Provision of work space for existing businesses during the development period. A vision worthy of the largest development EVER in a UK National Park You can see the plans at http://planningpublicaccess. southdowns.gov.uk/online-applications/ Application no. SDNP/15/01146/FUL Or, just type in SDNPA into your browser, enter North Street in the search box and follow the links. Hard copies will be available to view at: Lewes Town Hall, High Street, Lewes, East Sussex, BN7 2Q5 Lewes Library, Styles Field, Lewes, East Sussex, BN7 2LZ (key documents only) Lewes District Council Offices, Southover House, Southover Road, Lewes, East Sussex, BN7 1AB South Downs Centre, North Street, Midhurst, West Sussex, GU29 9DH Lewes Phoenix Rising Team
20 MARCH 2014 First response to the Santon/LDC planning application for the North Street Site 17/03/15 Lewes Phoenix Rising is reviewing the planning application submitted by Santon and Lewes District Council for the North Street site in Lewes. Our initial view is as follows: First, we are surprised that the period for making comments on this application, the largest in a National Park in England, only extends to 6 April 2015 – particularly as there has been absolutely no public consultation for a year by Santon or LDC. With respect to affordable housing, we welcome the increase to 40% provision in response to demands from many residents and LPR supporters. However, the definition of “affordable” and whether properties will be rented or privately owned is wholly unclear. The current government standard is 80% of market rent, which would result in a 2-bedroom flat being available for around £1,000 per month, which is not affordable to most people in Lewes. With over 400 people on the housing waiting list, this development could be a fantastic opportunity to address Lewes’ housing crisis. But it must provide property at genuinely social rents. Third, the proposed workspace appears to consist of either expensive industrial space in Malling Brooks or small cafe/retail or office ground-floor spaces under residential buildings. In no way does this support the rich and unique network of community enterprises and small independent industries currently on the site. Just three of the 50 businesses we surveyed last year were large enough to be able to afford the proposed rents at Malling Brooks. So while the scheme may well provide 475 “full-time equivalent jobs” in retail, offices and cafes in the distant future, we are likely to lose many of the 450 existing jobs in light industrial, manufacturing, creative and social enterprises in the process. Meanwhile, we cannot at present find any reference in the application to how they will accommodate/relocate all these businesses when development starts. Fourthly, we are perplexed by the plan to bulldoze rather than renovate the heritage buildings of the Phoenix Iron and Steelworks, against the suggestion of the SDNPA. These buildings have proven an ideal home
for galleries, workshops, cultural venues and facilities for teenagers. Replacing them with a purpose built ‘arts’ space resembling the Jerwood Studio at Glyndebourne, as Santon suggests, will simply not be adequate for the needs of the town.
Andrew Simpson, an experienced planner and a director of Lewes Phoenix Rising, said: “We are very concerned that the developer has failed to provide the detailed information the public needs to consider fully its proposals, such as the cost of the affordable housing and work space. It is also worrying that the National Park has given the people of Lewes just 21 days to read, consider and respond to over 823 documents in what is by far the most important planning application in living memory for the town. We have asked the Authority to extend this period to 42 days in recognition of this. Plus, their website is not working properly, with only one full copy of the application in the town at the start of the consultation period.
Meeting for LPR signatories this Monday (30 March). Where: Con Club, 139 High St, Lewes (Click here for map) When: Monday 30 March - 7.30pm prompt Lewes Phoenix Rising signatories and supporters are warmly invited to a meeting this Monday (30 March) at the Con Club, 139 High St, Lewes, starting at 7.30pm. The meeting will be an opportunity to discuss the Santon/LDC planning application and consultation process. The Lewes Phoenix Rising directors will outline LPR’s strategy and current plans. But most importantly, we would like to hear from you as to what steps you would like your community development company to take in the coming months. If you would like to comment or put a question but can’t attend Monday’s meeting, please email lewesphoenixrising@gmail.com and we will endeavour to include your points during the evening. Admission is free but places cannot be reserved. As the Con Club can only seat 100 (50 standing) prompt arrival is essential. Many thanks LPR Management Team
“At Lewes Phoenix Rising, we have viewed this site as a vital opportunity to create a ground-breaking, innovative development in the centre of a National Park. This is an opportunity to create a place not only where people on ordinary incomes can afford to live but where Lewes’ rich variety of creative, cultural and manufacturing businesses can thrive. Right now, the opportunity to create a brilliant place to live and work is being seriously squandered – we are going to continue to campaign to get the development that Lewes deserves. We also urge the LDC to act as the town’s representatives in the development of this site and not just as landowners in their joint venture with Santon.” http://lewesphoenixrising.com
19
All in all, this is a misleading application that will not necessarily deliver what it says on the tin. It sets a dangerous precedent for Lewes heading down the road to becoming a clone town, with many residents and workers being forced to leave and close down their businesses. Equally disturbing, it looks as though the National Park is anxious to close the consultation period before the elections on 7 May to avoid this application becoming part of the election debate.
28 MARCH 2015