Category: Lewes

E.S.C.C – Lewes Parking Review 3 – Informal consultation

East Sussex County Council are informally consulting on proposed changes to parking and waiting restrictions in Lewes District. They would like to invite your comments on these. The proposals follow requests for changes to existing parking controls or where local residents or businesses want new controls to be introduced.

Plans showing the proposals are available to view on the consultation hub. Please take the time to look at these and tell them your views. You can do this by completing the online consultation at the following link: https://consultation.eastsussex.gov.uk/economy-transport-environment/lewes-3-informal/

Notification of the review is being delivered to addresses in the affected areas this week. The consultation opens on 12 June 2026 and closes on 3 July 2026. All comments need to be received by the closing date. The level of support will determine the outcome of the proposals. If there are a number of suggested alternatives, these will be considered for inclusion in the final proposals.

If the proposals go forward then the draft Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) will be written and advertised allowing 21 days for formal consultation, we expect this to take place in September to October 2026. If there are no objections the restrictions will be introduced and the draft TRO will be made permanent. If objections are received, they will need to consider these and present a report to the Planning Committee.

They will be happy to answer any questions you may have. Please contact them by email to parking.escc@eastsussex.gov.uk or telephone 01323 466244.

Public meeting on Local Government Reorganisation

Reorganisation proposals confirmed – Government Minister invited

Residents are being invited to join the Leader of Lewes District Council at a public meeting on Friday 29 May, 6pm–7pm at the Meridian Centre, Peacehaven to discuss the government’s latest consultation on local government reorganisation.

The consultation could lead to Falmer, East Saltdean, Telscombe and Peacehaven being moved out of Lewes district and into Brighton & Hove.

Councillor Zoe Nicholson, Leader of Lewes District Council, said:

“This meeting will give residents another chance to voice their concerns and send a very clear message to the government.

“We have invited Steve Reed, the Secretary of State for Local Government, to attend and explain why the government is not listening to our residents. Let’s not forget, we are still waiting to see the results of the government’s first consultation from many months ago.”

The meeting will give residents the opportunity to hear the latest information, ask questions, and share their views.

Councillor Nicholson added:

”I encourage as many people as possible to join me on 29 May at the Meridian Centre.

“If this proposal goes ahead, our residents will lose their local identity, their local voice and their agency to influence their future.

“It is vital that people make their views heard and I hope the minister will join us to hear them.”

For more information and a link to the consultation, visit lewes-eastbourne.gov.uk/LGR

Grant update – Baxter’s Field Railings

In September 2025 a grant of £3,500 was given to The Baxter’s Field Company to help with the Restoration /Renovation of historic 120-year-old railings along 145m boundary Second Section Baxter’s Field.

The second section of the Railings restoration report.

All the panels in this section, 16 in number were removed on time in September 2025 and taken to Glynde Forge. All upright spears that could be restored were, old paint blasted off, re-powder coated, all laterals which were corroded/bent replaced in identical style. New out-rigger supports made to longer length to support the railings being replaced at their original height. The panels are now ready to be re-installed but the continuous rain has held up the excavation of the boundary between ESCC pavement and the bank. This work involves digging holes for the uprights & out-riggers and installing concrete edging. It will be completed as soon as the weather improves. The work could not have been commissioned without the Friends of Lewes contribution.

Baxter’s Field is open to the whole community – near neighbours including the residents of the Ousedale Estate close by who have no gardens and where there are many children of all ages, the wider Lewes residents, & visitors to the town.

Donations welcome to complete the remainder of the project: francessannwhittle@yahoo.co.uk

Lewes Tree Festival 2026

On Saturday 13th June the Lewes Tree Festival starts with a launch event from 11:00 to 15:00 at the Lewes Climate Hub with an exhibition from Lewes Urban Arboretum. Refreshments will be available.

The Lewes Urban Arboretum team has organised four guided walks in June to celebrate our trees and our status as an Arboretum Town – one of only two in the country! All the walks will be led by local arboriculturalists who are members of our Trees Committee. The walks are free but donations are always welcome to fund our tree-planting projects.

  • Tuesday 16th June, 11.00 a.m. to 1.00 p.m. Railway Land Nature Reserve. No need to book – just meet us at the entrance to the Linklater Pavilion.

The latest Lewes Historical Plaque

John Stenhouse (formerly Steinhaeuser) was the medical officer in Lewes and founded the sanatorium in 1905. He conducted valuable work in child mortality rates and specifically deaths from tuberculosis. Additionally he served in World War I with the Sussex Yeomanry as a Surgeon-Captain and was a member of the Royal College of Surgeons.

His plaque has gone up on the house he lived in on St Andrews Lane.

Click on the Lewes Town Council Facebook link below to see the full post

Click on the Lewes Historical Plaques link below to see the full Friends of Lewes website section on Historical Plaques which includes a link to a document containing all of the Plaques in Lewes.

Lewes Historical Plaques

The future of the Lewes Tourist Information Centre

Available to view and download are a letter from the Friends of Lewes to Johnny Denis, Cabinet Member for Tourism & Leisure, Lewes District Council, expressing our concern over the future of the Tourist Information Centre and a report commissioned by the Council to explore the tourist information requirements for visitors to Lewes.

Lewes Tourist Information OfficeDownload
Lewes_Tourist_Information_Service_reportDownload

Friends of Lewes support for St Thomas’ 350-year-old church clock

The Friends of Lewes is pleased to support the appeal by St Thomas à Becket Church in Cliffe to improve access up the church tower – and to invite local residents to join a volunteer team to wind its turret clock every day.

Nearly £25,000 had to be raised to make the church tower’s 15th-century spiral staircase safe, and meanwhile the clock has been out of action for over a year. Now it will be re-started, at midday on Friday 25 November 2022.

Clock at St Thomas a Becket Church, Cliffe, LewesThe clock dates to 1670 and is reputed to be the second oldest in Sussex, so this is an opportunity for volunteers to literally get a hand on their history. The church is aiming to engage with local people by creating a team of clock-winders, and is also planning guided tours of the clock and belfry, starting early next year.

The daily hand-winding that is required is a five-minute job, and St Thomas is aiming to establish a rota of winders who live nearby and would like to be hands-on to their town’s history. Interested members can get more information from parochial church council member Peter Varlow, peter@varlow.org.uk

More on the history of this clock

 

Become a Friend of Lewes

 

New Lewes Street Stories publications: Mill Road and Chapel Hill

The Lewes History Group is delighted to announce the publication of two new books in their ‘Lewes Street Stories’ series. Over the last few years Lewes History Group members have researched several Lewes streets, bringing to light many interesting insights into the past life in the town.

The two new books are ‘Mill Road, South Malling’, by Chris Taylor, and ‘Lewes Street Stories: Chapel Hill’ written by Mary Benjamin, Meg Griffiths and Shân Rose.

Building on earlier accounts available on the Lewes History Group website, both books provide fascinating and surprising insights, and are liberally illustrated with photographs.

Both books will be published on 10 September 2022, and will be on sale (price £7.50) at LHG’s Heritage Open Days exhibition at Lewes House on 10 and 11 September. You will also be able to buy copies at the Tourist Information Centre from 10 September, at the LHG’s monthly talk at King’s Church on 12 September, and by mail order.

Lewes Street Stories, Chapel Hill, Mill Road, book covers

 

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