Works set to be completed at Old Coach House in Lewes after castle curtain wall collapse

An East Sussex County Council spokesman said this week: “Our contractors are currently completing the installation of internal bracing inside the Old Coach House to ensure the structure is safe, which will allow us to remove the external scaffolding and reopen Castle Ditch Lane to traffic.

“We expect this to be completed by Friday afternoon (February 7), at which point we can hand the property back to the owner.

“The owner’s insurance company and structural engineer will make a decision on the future of the building.”

The council said it expects to be in a position to reopen The Maltings car park (pictured) by the end of next week, although, it said, the steps from the car park to Castle Ditch Lane will remain closed for the time being.

“Following the collapse of a section of castle wall in November, we have carried out inspections of the entire wall and this inspection identified a section of wall by The Maltings car park, some distance from the collapsed section, which required propping up to make it safe. This has now been done.

“We will be working with partners including Historic England and Lewes District Council to formulate a long-term plan for the affected sections of wall.”