Proposals to redevelop a former commercial site in Newick have been approved by Lewes planners.
On Wednesday (October 9), Lewes District Council’s planning committee approved an application, which had been seeking permission to create a new housing development by redeveloping land to the rear of 18 High Street.
The approved scheme involves both the conversion and demolition of several commercial buildings, which the committee heard had been vacant since 2023. In all, the development would comprise 11 new houses and eight flats.
The proposals faced heavy opposition from Newick residents, with the council having received 59 letters of objection prior to the meeting. Objectors had raised concerns about overdevelopment, impact on neighbouring properties and its location
Some of these concerns were voiced by Andrew Wilson, a neighbour of the scheme. He said: “I am not opposed to the principle of developing the proposed site; it is a brownfield site close to the centre of the village and will provide housing for first time buyers and older people simply seeking to downsize.
“However, in general, I am concerned about the density of the proposed development.”
He added: “Overall, I believe the current application is a wasted opportunity. With more consultation with the local community it would be possible to build housing that Newick actually needs and quite frankly which would probably allow the land owner and developer to realise more value from the asset they have.”
Newick Parish Council had not formally objected to the scheme, saying it considered the site to be “suitable for regeneration”. However, the parish council also chose not to lend its support, having highlighted several concerns around elements of the scheme’s design, including parking provision and accessibility.
During the meeting, however, Cllr Cathy Wickens called for the application to be ‘withdrawn’ in hopes of revisions to address these concerns.
Ultimately, however, the committee considered the scheme to be acceptable and opted to grant planning permission in line with the officers’ recommendation.
Approval was granted subject to conditions, including those around flood risk management, drainage and the construction of a new highway entrance.
For further information see application reference LW/23/0606 on the Lewes District Council website.
