Lewes Bus Station saved for now says MP

Ms Caulfield has posted online to say that following their latest meeting, East Sussex County Council and the Generator Group have reached an agreement.

She writes: "I am pleased to tell you that ESCC and the Generator Group, the owners of the former Lewes bus station site, have reached an agreement to allow bus operators to continue to use the tarmac area within the former bus station to drop off and pick up passengers on a 28 day rolling basis.

"This will allow further time for suitable replacement facilities to be identified. Both temporary and longer term solutions are being considered. This news will be welcomed by residents, traders and bus users in the town.

"The Generator Group are finalising their planning application for the development of the former bus station before submitting it to the South Downs National Park, who are the local Planning Authority. ESCC, as the local transport authority, is providing pre-application advice to the Generator Group as a statutory consultee to the planning authority."

Last month the Express reported how County Councillor Claire Dowling, Lewes District Council Leader Zoe Nicholson and Town Council Mayor Stephen Catlin wrote to developers The Generator Group urging it to reconsider its decision to serve notice on the bus station from February 18.

They argued there was no need to vacate so quickly as an alternative site has not yet been agreed and no building work is likely to take place at the current site for at least a year.

In response, managing director of the Group, Paul Isaacs defended the move in a letter to Ms Caulfield, saying the site was allocated for development in the Local Plan back in 2003.

He said in his letter: “Given these arrangements, ESCC must have anticipated the temporary nature of the arrangement and it is difficult to understand how this can have come as a surprise and not have been planned for in some way.”

And he was critical of all three local councils, claiming the Group’s ‘efforts to work collaboratively and consult with ESCC, LDC and LTC have been met with opposition and attempts to frustrate and thwart our proposals, rather than working with us to identify a solution.’

However Mr Issacs also offered a small glimmer of hope that there may be a temporary extension to the licence.

Summing up in his letter he said the group would attempt to set up 'a further meeting with the ESCC transport team to explore whether terms can be agreed for a temporary extension'.

This now appears to have been approved.

Concerns have long been expressed that the centre of Lewes, with its narrow and twisting streets, did not provide a suitable site for a bus interchange.

ESCC had begun making preparations for the closure of Lewes Bus Station, suggesting temporary bus stops could be established at the bottom of School Hill, Friars Walk and Little East Street.

Have you read that LDC are leaving Southover House? The story is also included in today's county bulletin