£3 MILLION LAND SALE FOR 60 NEW HOMES

LEWES District Council is selling town centre land to a developer for £3 million.

Ash Mill wants to build about 60 new flats and houses on the area behind Lewes House and School Hill House.

Forty per cent of the development, between the High Street and Friars Walk, would be social housing.

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The sites, between Broomans Lane and Walwers Lane, have been allocated for housing for the past four years.

The design will include a public open space at the heart of the new development.

Footpaths would allow public access into the estate through arched breaches in the ancient flint walls in Walwers Lane and centrally placed Church Twitten.

Council leader Ann De Vecchi said: 'We have already provided cash to improve the quality of the nearby new library.

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'We have always said that we were determined to safeguard the historic environment of the site and its surroundings.

'Now we want Ash Mill to bring forward a planning application that will show how this development can improve the townscape of Lewes.

'As landowners we have taken steps to ensure that the overall package will respect the character and scale of the buildings in this part of the town.

'The fact that 40 per cent of the total development will be social housing will be a great benefit to the town. There will be an extra 24 properties to offer to local people in need of housing.'

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A planning application is expected within the next few months.

The news was welcomed by Lewes Chamber of Commerce. President David Quinn said: 'It will be nice to have more local customers using nearby local shops. That is what Lewes is all about.

'It is good to see areas of the town centre re-populated and regenerated, rather than building on green field sites.

'At the same time, we need to keep cars to a minimum.'

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