Phoenix Action Vision Statements for the North Street Area of Lewes
Flood Risk
Any development must not generate a legacy of unacceptable flood risk for future generations. This must be the subject of public discussion for the entire flood plain and the (Lewes District) Council must develop a statutory flood risk assessment before planning decisions are made. Current predictions about rising sea-levels indicate that flood protection designed to meet current risk levels is likely to be redundant within one or two generations.
The whole town and the Local Development Framework
Any development must be considered in the context of the LDF for the entire town. The Council has a duty to develop its policy independently, in consultation with the full range of stakeholders. Time and resources must be devoted to this work before any policy decisions with long-term implications are made. This period of unprecedented development in the town presents an opportunity for the Council to lead a wide public debate. Key issues such as housing, employment and transport must be considered in the context of global climate change and the need to strengthen the community in our town.
Employment versus accommodation
LDCs housing targets are already planned to be met to 2011. What the town needs is high value jobs.
OUR VISION
1 Sustainable
To be sustainable economically and socially in the long term in the face of the increasing flood risk, traditional retail and residential accommodation must be minimised in favour of commercial and industrial buildings that have lower life-cycle and replacement costs. This would remove the need for futile flood defences.
2 The Future of Lewes
Enhancing the sense of community and well-being that characterises Lewes means ensuring development does not generate unsustainable pressures on the town's infrastructure. Current plans for Wenban-Smith and the bus station will generate traffic pressures that will be worsened by development at North Street. The pressure on schools, primary care and other amenities, and Lewes' role as the urban centre of the National Park must also be considered. These matters must drive the development of policy before major planning proposals can be considered.
3 North Street as Lewes' Commercial Heartland
Lewes needs high value occupations for existing and new populations in the district. This means retaining skilled and semi-skilled jobs, and attracting new employers in the high-tech industries, with connections to our two local universities. To accommodate these new jobs we envisage a modern, well-designed range of industrial buildings replacing the existing buildings where they are past their useful life.