18 residential units at Former Garden Street Auction Rooms, Garden Street, Lewes

What was proposed

The application proposed demolishing existing industrial buildings and providing 18 flats in one block, with amenity space, parking, cycle storage and green roofs.

“Report to Planning Committee Date 11 December 2025 By Director of Planning Application Number SDNP/25/00292/FUL Applicant Home Sussex 1 Limited Application Demolition of existing industrial buildings and provision of 18 residential units with associated amenity, car and cycle parking provision Address Former Garden Street Auction Rooms, Garden Street, Lewes, BN7 1TJ __________________________________________________________________________________ Recommendation: 1) That…”

“A new vehicular access would be provided via a straight ramp from Garden Street down to the 11- bay parking area in the southern part of the site, which includes an accessible parking space. Pedestrian access would be provided at ground floor level from Garden Street to the main foyer and lift, and at lower ground floor level from the car park. Secondary pedestrian access at ground floor would also be provided to the terrace gardens of units 8 and 9.”

Officer report

The site and its setting

The site was a former auction room beside Lewes railway station, within the Conservation Area, with historic buildings, steep boundaries, a railway line and flood constraints.

“Site Description 1.1. The application relates to a 0.15 hectare (ha) site allocated through policy PL1 B(3) of the Lewes Neighbourhood Plan for an “expected 11 dwellings.” The site is centrally located adjacent to the railway station within the settlement boundary of Lewes Town and falls within the Southover Character Area of the Lewes Conservation Area.”

“To the north of the site Southover Road features larger detached dwellings and Southover House, the former Lewes District Council’s offices. To the west of the application site is Southover Grange Gardens, which is a designated local green space. The site is prominent and can be viewed from multiple vantage points, including from Lewes railway station and the road bridge over the railway.”

Officer report

Earlier applications

Earlier proposals included six houses and ten homes; permission for ten homes was allowed on appeal, while later schemes were withdrawn or refused.

“The site falls primarily within flood zone 2, Water Source Protection Zones 2 and 3 and area of groundwater vulnerability due to the underlying aquifer. There is a culverted winterbourne stream (statutory main river) running east-west close to the southern boundary, and a main storm tunnel that runs east west through the site. Relevant Planning History 2.1.”

“Advice provided 01.03.2023 (see Appendix 3) • SDNP/23/03275/FUL Demolition of existing buildings and erection of 17no. residential units. Withdrawn 30.05.2024 • SDNP/24/02204/LDE Implementation of planning permission SDNP/18/05444/FUL (allowed at Appeal - 3256462) for redevelopment of 'former auction rooms' into ten residential units comprising two no. two-bed split-level apartments, four no. three-bedroom houses and four no.”

Officer report

Consultees’ views

Most consultees had no objection subject to conditions, while Lewes Town Council objected over affordable housing, scale, views, drainage, flood risk and contamination.

“Relatively high standards of embodied and operational energy performance; • Arrangement of car parking could be improved with central area of planting. Ecology: No objection, subject to conditions. Environment Agency: No objection, subject to conditions. Environmental Health (Contamination): No objection, subject to conditions. East Sussex County Council Highway Authority: No objection, subject to conditions. 4.7.”

Officer report

Objections and support

Objectors raised concerns about affordability, overdevelopment, heritage, views, parking, highway safety, drainage, flooding and construction impacts.

“Nearby sites have low levels of car ownership with underground car parks underutilised; • Station Road railway bridge not open to heavy vehicles including refuse trucks; • Garden St not wide enough for two vehicles to pass; lack of on-site turning for large vehicles will cause highway safety issues; • Congestion will cause safety risk to pedestrians to local schools; • Significant impacts from construction; Drainage and Flood Risk • Infrastructure insufficient to cope with…”

Officer report

Who spoke

A resident, a conservation-area group representative and a town-council representative spoke against, while the agent spoke for the applicant.

What members debated

Members debated the sensitive site, design, scale, affordable housing, viability, historic plaque, materials, parking, views and effects on the Conservation Area.

“The design and scale were questioned, with the view that the scheme may be too high and overbearing debated. • The affordable housing provision was discussed, with disappointment expressed that only two affordable units were proposed, and questions raised about the viability assessment and the use of vacant building credit.”

“The tenure of the affordable units was questioned, with clarification sought on discussions with the local housing authority regarding management of the units. • The need to take account of changing viability and material costs since the adoption of the neighbourhood plan was noted. • Members expressing support for the proposal as a positive solution for a constrained site. 125.”

Minutes

The committee’s decision

The committee resolved to grant permission subject to conditions, a legal agreement, and delegated authority to refuse if the agreement was not completed in time.

“RESOLVED: 1) That planning permission be granted subject to: i) The conditions set out in paragraph 9.1 of this report and the update sheet and any amendments or other conditions to address technical matters; and ii) A legal agreement, the final form of which is delegated to the Director of Planning, to secure the following: a) Two affordable 1-bedroom homes of a discounted market sales tenure; and b) The management and monitoring of the biodiverse green roofs for a period…”

Minutes