Morrisons submits revised proposals for Peacehaven supermarket: MP welcomes ‘great news’ for town

Morrisons said these proposals include a 25,000 sq ft store, featuring its popular ‘Market Street’ with specialist butchers, bakers and fishmongers, as well as landscaped public spaces, new retail and supporting infrastructure.

The supermarket chain said it is submitting its proposals as a hybrid planning application comprising two parts to make sure the store can be delivered as soon as possible.

It said the first part is detailed plans for the supermarket, parking facilities and public spaces, which includes the new town square. The second is outline proposals for a further 40,000 sq ft of retail space, which Morrisons said could include several ‘drive-thru’ units, like coffee or sandwich shops, on the eastern part of the site.

Justin Lawrence, development manager at Morrisons, said: “We recognise the importance of this development to the residents of Peacehaven, and we appreciate people’s patience. We have worked with the council’s officers to ensure our plans align with local priorities and are deliverable. We now look forward sharing them with the community with a view to securing planning approval for the supermarket in the coming months.”

The official announcement follows Morrisons’ presentation at Peacehaven Town Council’s Annual Town Meeting on the evening of Wednesday, May 27.

Chris Ward, the Labour MP for Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven, took to Facebook afterwards to record a video calling the announcement ‘great news for the town’.

He said: “Finally Morrisons have submitted a new planning proposal to Lewes District Council so they’re cracking on with the site.”

The MP thanked members of the community who had campaigned with him to get the store built.

Morrisons explained that submitting a hybrid application means it will be able to move ‘at pace’ to deliver the supermarket, subject to planning consent, while safeguarding the opportunity for more development on the site. The supermarket chain said it would submit more details for the eastern part of the site ‘in the coming months’.

Morrisons also confirmed that Peacehaven Library and Community House will be retained in its revised proposals. A spokesperson said: “While alternative plans for Peacehaven Library had previously been considered, both will now remain in their current form, with some renovations to their exteriors. This reflects their important role for Peacehaven residents and will help to ensure these spaces remain available throughout the redevelopment period.”

In his Facebook video, MP Chris Ward also welcomed the news that there would be ‘no housing on the site’. He said: “That’s great news but with Morrisons and with this site there’s always a kicker to it and a call to arms for people in Peacehaven to keep campaigning.”

Mr Ward called the timetable on the work ‘disappointing’, saying: “The site will be, they say, into planning very soon but not probably built until 2028.”

He said: “So we need to hold their feet to the fire and try and speed things up.”

The MP said he would write to everyone in Peacehaven to update them on their success on getting the store plan to this stage, but he also asked residents to push Morrisons to ‘crack on’. He also asked residents to call for support for the community in the time it takes to build the supermarket. He said: “Whether that’s improved click and collect, whether that’s the bus route they’ve talked about in the past or getting a temporary store up. This site can’t be derelict for that time.”

Morrisons added that the Peacehaven store will incorporate electric vehicle (EV) charging points and photovoltaic panels on the store roof to help reduce the development’s carbon footprint and meet Morrisons’ ‘commitment to Net Zero carbon emissions by 2050’.

Morrisons said it initially received a planning resolution from Lewes District Council’s planning committee for the redevelopment of the Meridian Centre in 2023. But development was paused before formal planning approval was granted. Morrisons has been reviewing the scheme since then to make sure it is deliverable and that it meets the needs of Peacehaven residents.

Further information about the latest proposals will be available at www.morrisonspeacehaven.co.uk. Morrisons said the plans will be available soon at planningpa.lewes-eastbourne.gov.uk/online-applications (reference LW/23/0018) where people can participate in the council’s consultation. People with questions about latest proposals can email the Morrisons project team at [email protected].