Minutes of a meeting held on Wednesday 9th September 2026, at 8.00 p. m., at the Chapter House, Southover Church.
Present: Roger Maskew, (in the Chair), John Gower, Charles Meloy, Luke Bray, Julian Till, Andrew Winter.
1. Apologies for Absence:
Apologies were received from Will Dorman, Alex Durn and Carolyn Beckingham.
2. Minutes of Previous Meeting:
The minutes of the meeting held on 05th August that had been circulated were approved, but will need to be amended. Please see “Responses to August Planning Applications”, dated the 16th August, when comments on the amendments to 3 conditions on the proposed Old Malling Farm development were not able to be submitted, and have subsequently all been approved.
3. Executive Committee:
There had been no Executive Committee meeting in August.
4. Decisions:
1st August to 28th August
The following SDNPA decisions are available online:
SDNP/24/00843/FUL: Pannetts Building, Railway Lane. Extensions and alterations to provide E Class (Commercial, Business, and Service) use at ground floor and conversion of other areas to provide 2 x Studio flats, 2 x 1 bed flats, 4 x 2 bed flats and 1 x 3 bed duplex flat with external terrace and alteration to existing roof (Amended Scheme).
SDNP/25/02085/OUT: 10 South Way. Outline planning application for the erection of a new house and garage to the rear of 10 South Way (Amended Description).
SDNP/26/00541/HOUS: 31 Prince Edward’s Road. Erection of first floor extension over previously built ground floor extension. Approved.
SDNP/26/02163/LIS: 9 Cliffe High Street. Retrospective replacement of shopfront sign (resubmission of SDNP/25/03083/LIS) (amendments to SDNP/26/00783/LIS). Approved.
SDNP/26/02373/HOUS: Erection of single storey rear extension. Approved
SDNP/26/02571/HOUS: Single storey rear extension. Approved
5. New Planning Applications:
1st August to 28th August
SDNP/25/01671/FUL: Eastgate Wharf Lewes East Sussex BN7 2LD. (Amended Scheme).Demolition of existing buildings and construction of mixed-use development comprising 60 dwellings (Class C3), and 372sqm ground floor commercial space (Class E), with associated flood defences, landscaping, parking, access alterations, and public realm (amended scheme).
The Friends of Lewes object to this planning application for the following reasons:-
(1) It is contrary to the Society’s recently issued “Policy on Development in the Floodplain”, which specifically recommends that there should be no future housing development on the floodplain in Lewes.
(2) Furthermore, the Society considers that this Eastgate Wharf site has a strategic importance in seeking to achieve an appropriate integrated town centre re-development, in order to ensure the future vitality of Lewes Town Centre.
(3) In this respect, the Society would strongly recommend that this current proposal should not be supported.
(4) Taking a wider, more strategic view, given that both the Generator Group’s proposal for the redevelopment of the former Lewes Bus Station Site, and Human Nature’s proposals of for the redevelopment of the former Phoenix Iron Works Site, do not seem to be making any progress, the Society would strongly recommend that it is timely to consider that a “Masterplan” should be prepared for the centre of Lewes.
(5) Indeed, it is understood that the SDNPA has already invited the Lewes Planning Group to contribute to such a review.
(6) Such a “Masterplan” should take the opportunity to consider the provision of an alternative option for replacing the bus facilities in the centre of Lewes, including the provision of bus stops at save locations, adequate space for buses to stop for limited periods, and the provision of facilities for bus crews to take a break.
(7) Simultaneously, Southern Water should be strongly encouraged to improve the capacity of the waste water treatment works in Ham Lane, before any further housing is built in Lewes, in order to avoid any additional discharges of untreated water into the River Ouse.
SDNP/26/03177/HOUS: 7 the Fosse Lancaster Street:
Installation of five all-black solar PV panels inset into the south facing roof.
The Friends of Lewes object to this planning application, as solar panels should not be installed on an elevation facing the street within a Conservation Area, due to the adverse visual impact on the historic setting. Not submitted as planning application had been withdrawn.
Owlsbury Farm in Uckfield:
https://planning.wealden.gov.uk/Planning/Display/WD/2025/0922/MEA:
Friends of Lewes continue to object to this proposal because insufficient evidence has beenprovided to demonstrate that the development will not increase surface-water runoff within the River Ouse catchment.
This is a fundamental issue because any increase in runoff from the development would add to flows within the River Ouse and could consequently increase the risk of flooding in Lewes and other areas downstream.
We note that both the Environment Agency and the East Sussex County Council Flood Risk Management Team continue to object to the proposal on grounds relating to flood risk and the buildability and effectiveness of the proposed Surface Water Management System. In particular, it has not yet been satisfactorily demonstrated that the system can prevent any increase in surface-water runoff from the developed site.
Friends of Lewes consider that this issue must be resolved before any planning permission is granted. The applicant must provide robust evidence, acceptable to the Environment Agency, East Sussex County Council and Wealden District Council’s Building Control Team, demonstrating that during extreme and sustained rainfall events, including those expected to become more frequent and severe as a result of climate change, surface water can be safely contained and managed within the site for a prolonged period without increasing flows into the River Ouse.
There is also a significant concern regarding the long-term management, maintenance and reliability of the proposed Surface Water Management and containment system. It must be demonstrated that appropriate arrangements will be in place to ensure that all components of the system remain fully operational and effective throughout the lifetime of the development, including during extreme rainfall events.
Until these matters have been satisfactorily demonstrated, Friends of Lewes considers that the proposal has not adequately addressed the potential increase in flood risk arising from the Development.
For these reasons, Friends of Lewes object to the application.
Letter sent to Wealden on 14th September.
The Committee examined the following applications and had no observations to make:
SDNP/26/02964/ADV: 16A High Street. 1 vinyl graphic to door, 1 to window, hand painted wall sign and protruding sign.
SDNP/26/03000/HOUS: 6 Fitzroy Road. Loft conversion with rear dormer.
SDNP/26/03056/LDP: 1 Cockshut Road: Single storey rear extension.
SDNP/26/03066/FUL: 1 Cockshut Road. Extending first floor flat to complete first floor area, install air source heat pump and solar panels.
SDNP/26/03161/FUL: 5 Mount Harry Road. Ancillary to Class E(b): storage use strictly subordinate and ancillary to primary restaurant and residential flat above for operators.
SDNP/26/03173/DCOND: Pells Church of England Primary School, Landport Road. Discharge of Condition 21 (SUDS STRATEGY) for SDNP/23/02033CND
SDNP/26/03188/DCOND: Aldi House, Brooks Road.
SDNP/26/03278/LIS: 22 High Street. Advertisement signage (linked to SDNP/26/03117ADV).
SDNP/26/03297/HOUS: 15 Bradford Road. Single storey rear extension, life-for-like window replacement and roof-mounted solar panels.
6. Flood Report 2026
2026 is likely to be one of the hottest and driest on record, with 4 significant heatwaves impacting most of the UK. As we move into autumn the risk of flooding returns, as rains fall on parched dry ground and run off quickly before they have a chance to soak into soils and underlying strata. Both the 2000 and 1960’s Lewes Floods were in the autumn so let’s hope we don’t see another one in 2026.
The UN have issued advice that this year is likely to see the hottest El Nino for 1000 years develop in the Pacific Ocean. This will release extra heat into the atmosphere, which in turn will bring higher than average rains and risk of flooding in the UK. It is sobering that our government have started to advise us to keep stocks of dried and tinned foods and bottled water in case of extreme weather. It is clearly important that we start to adapt our housing stock and work places to cope with these new extreme summer heatwaves and of course build new homes outside of the floodplain and the higher risks of flooding.
7. Any Other Business:
None
8. Date of Next Meeting:
Wednesday 14th October 2026, at 8.00 p. m., at the Chapter House.
