Background Reports

Studies currently being undertaken:

Economic and Employment Land Assessment Update
Affordable Housing Viability Assessment

Completed Studies

Infrastructure Position Statement
Rural Settlement Study
Strategic Transport Studies
Local Housing Needs Assessment
Landscape Capacity Study
Hotel and Visitor Accommodation Futures Study
Gypsy and Traveller Site Assessment
Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (SHLAA)
Economic and Employment Land Assessment
Renewable Energy and Low Carbon Development Study
Strategic Housing Market Assessment (SHMA)
Lewes District Touring Caravan & Camping Study
Newhaven Eastside Masterplan
Lewes Car Park Study
Lewes District Shopping and Town Centre Study (2012)
Retail Study of Lewes District (March 2005)
Lewes District Council Informal Recreational Space Study
Ancient Woodland Survey Revision
Physical Development Vision for Newhaven
Strategic Flood Risk Assessment

Infrastructure Position Statement

The Infrastructure Position Statement was completed in September 2011 and is used to inform work on the Core Strategy. The aim of our work with regards to infrastructure is to achieve a comprehensive understanding of existing infrastructure capacity and provision of services across the District and to identify any existing deficiencies which are likely to be a significant constraint to new development.

As a ‘living’ document, we will continue to update the Infrastructure Position Statement as and when further information is available.

Infrastructure Position Statement (PDF Document, 168KB)

Rural Settlement Study (RSS)

The Rural Settlement Study was completed in 2011. This document has allowed us to gain a greater understanding of the District’s rural settlements. As such, it has enabled us to identify a rural settlement hierarchy based on the sustainability of each settlement and has helped us to identify sustainable social, environmental and economic elements of the rural settlements in the District.

Rural Settlement Study (PDF document, 1,323KB)

Appendix A - Sustainability Matrix (PDF document, 25KB)

Appendix B - Settlement Distance Study (PDF document, 12 KB)

Strategic Transport Studies

Strategic transport studies have been carried out for Newhaven (by consultant Mott MacDonald, 2011) and for Lewes town (by consultant TPi, 2011). The studies included traffic modeling to investigate a number of potential development scenarios informed by the Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment and the Employment and Economic Land Assessment. East Sussex County Council, the local highway authority, has been closely involved in overseeing these studies and has also assessed potential development scenarios in areas of the District not specifically covered by these two studies. The assessments will consider the impact that the scenario developments would have on the transport network and identify whether current transport infrastructure would need to be upgraded to allow such development to take place. We, with the County Council, have prepared a joint Transport Position Paper as a background document to the emerging Core Strategy.

Transport Position Statement (PDF Document,60KB)

Newhaven Transport Study (PDF Document 18,037 KB)

Lewes Town Transport Study (PDF Document 4,551 KB)

Lewes Town Transport Study Appendix A (Excel Document, 4,094KB)

Local Housing Needs Assessment (LHNA)

The Lewes District Assessment of Local Needs for Housing was undertaken by consultant Nathaniel Lichfield and Partners in 2011. The LHNA assesses the potential amount of housing required in the District to support the future population, based on a range of economic and demographic trends and forecasts. The likely abolition of the South East Plan will require us to set a locally derived housing target for the District in our Core Strategy. The LHNA will form part of the evidence base for the Core Strategy, including the setting of a locally derived housing target for the District.

Local Housing Needs Assessment (PDF Document, 1.25MB)

Landscape Capacity Study (LCS)

The 2011 Landscape Capacity Study identifies important landscape features across the District. It will be used to help determine whether potential development options are appropriate on landscape grounds and the conclusions of the LCS have been used to inform the Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment.

Landscape Capacity Study (PDF document, 165KB)

Hotel and Visitor Accommodation Futures Study (HVAFS)

The Lewes District Hotel and Visitor Accommodation Futures Study was commissioned by the Council and Tourism South East to provide an objective assessment of the potential for the future development of hotels, guesthouses and other forms of serviced accommodation in the District. The study was undertaken by the consultant Hotel Solutions and was completed in 2009. The purpose of the study was to inform the preparation of the Local Development Framework and to support development management functions.

Hotel Study (PDF Document, 409KB)

Gypsy and Traveller Site Assessment (GTSA)

This study identifies and assesses potential sites to meet identified needs for gypsies and travellers in the District. The document below currently remains in draft form. Further work will be carried out in due course because the current GTSA is based on the identified need for the District as set out in the South East Plan, which is likely to be abolished in 2012. The South East Plan contains an Interim Statement on provision for gypsies and travellers. A Partial Review of gypsy and traveller accommodation needs for the region was started, however the Independent Panel that was carrying out the Partial Review took the decision not to continue when the Coalition Government announced its intention to revoke Regional Spatial Strategies, including the South East Plan. As a result, further work will be carried out to identify a locally derived level of need for gypsy and traveller accommodation in Lewes District and will appear here when completed.

Gypsy and Traveller Site Assessment (GTSA) (PDF Document, 3.42MB)

Strategic Housing Market Assessment (SHMA)

Below is the final report by DTZ that we commissioned at the beginning of 2007 and was completed July 2008. The SHMA will form an important part of the Local Development Framework's evidence base and is required by Government's Planning Policy Statement 3: Housing. The study establishes an understanding and strategic vision of the District's future housing demand and supply. This document will be periodically updated.

The PDF final report is available to view below, split into parts:

Part 1: Introduction, Part 2: Identifying the spatial extent of the housing market
Parts 1 and 2, Strategic Housing Market Assessment (PDF, 1.68mb)

Part 3: Drivers of the housing market, Part 4: Demographic drivers of demand
Parts 3 and 4, Strategic Housing Market Assessment (PDF, 1.28mb)

Part 5: Economic drivers of demand, Part 6: Characteristics and structure of housing supply
Parts 5 and 6, Strategic Housing Market Assessment (PDF, 1.41mb)

Part 7: House price and affordability, Part 8: Review of Lewes District's housing requirements
Parts 7 and 8, Strategic Housing Market Assessment (PDF, 980kb)

Part 9: Conclusions and implications
Part 9, Strategic Housing Market Assessment (PDF, 797kb)

Lewes District Touring Caravan & Camping Study

This study, which was prepared by Hotel Solutions for Lewes District Council and Tourism South East, was finalised in early 2011. The study looks at the current provision of touring caravanning and camping in and around Lewes District. It has examined the potential for growth in the provision of camping and touring caravanning sites and pitches, particularly given the recent designation of the South Downs National Park. The findings of this study will inform future activities for tourism and LDF policies. The full study is available to dowload below.

PDF
PDF Lewes District Touring Caravan & Camping Study (0.87mb)

Newhaven Eastside Masterplan

Newhaven is a passenger and freight port and a focus for industrial activity in East Sussex. These activities are concentrated on the east side of the River Ouse, and for many years further land there has been allocated to provide for their future growth. Currently there is debate about the future directions for these important sectors of the local economy, and about the use of land for these purposes at Eastside. Therefore the county and district councils and the Newhaven Strategic Network joined together to commission an independent and authoritative assessment from Roger Tymm and Partners (consultant planners and development economists).

Copies of the full study and the four appendices are available to download below:



Parts 1 to 5
Part 6 - Option A
Part 6 - Option B
Part 6 - Option C and Part 7
Appendices

Paper copies of the study and its appendices are available from the Planning Policy Team, Planning and Environmental Services, Southover House, Southover Road, Lewes, BN7 1AB, price £11 plus £1 postage (please make cheques payable to Lewes District Council).

Lewes Car Park Study

This report examines off-street parking provision in the town of Lewes and considers options for the future. The purpose of the Survey is to inform a number of planning and development processes. This includes:

responding to major planning applications,
preparation of new planning policies in the Local Development Framework,
new transport policies in ESCC’s Local Transport Plan 3,
any future review of how we manage our off-street car parks in the town.

It is important to emphasise the survey is not a review of the on-street Controlled Parking Zone (CPZ) in Lewes, and street parking management processes. These are managed by NCP on behalf of East Sussex County Council.

PDF
PDF Survey of Lewes Car Parks (5.21mb)

Lewes District Shopping and Town Centre Study (May 2012)

An update to the 2005 Retail Study (see below) was undertaken in 2012 to inform and guide retail planning and development across the district. This document includes recommendations for retail policies to be included in the Core Strategy.

Lewes District Shopping and Town Centre Study (PDF, 11.1MB)

Retail Study of Lewes District (2005)

This is a comprehensive appraisal of retail activity and the town centres in the district that provides recommendations for appropriate policies to be embodied in the Local Development Framework.

The study, published in March 2005, can be viewed using the links below.



Main Report
Plans 1 and 2
Plans 3 and 4
Plans 5 and 6
Plans 7 and 8
Appendix 1
Appendix 2 - Lewes
Appendix 2 - Newhaven
Appendix 2 - Peacehaven
Appendix 2 - Meridian Centre, Peacehaven
Appendix 2 - Seaford
Appendix 3
Appendices 4, 5 and 6

Lewes District Council Informal Recreational Space Study

This study was commissioned in early 2005 to review and assess the current provision of informal recreation space in Lewes District, its current qualitative, character and quantitative provision and the location of any deficits. The report was carried out by the Landscape group, East Sussex County Council.



Landscape Report
Appendices

Ancient Woodland Survey Revision

This report presents a revised ancient woodland inventory for the District, mapping the locations of ancient woodland and showing that the District is home to 1,156 hectares of ancient woodland. We will have to take the findings of the report into account when preparing planning policy documents.

PDF
PDF Lewes Ancient Woodland Survey Report (2.90mb)

Physical Development Vision for Newhaven

In 2008, the consultancy BBP Regeneration were commissioned by Newhaven Strategic Network (NSN) to produce a 20-year physical development vision for the town of Newhaven. NSN comprises a range of partners including SEEDA, East Sussex County Council, Lewes District Council, Newhaven Town Council and Newhaven Community Development Association (NCDA). The final report has now been prepared and can be viewed below. This report will form part of the evidence base for developing policies in the LDF for the Newhaven area. It is worth noting that although the cover of the report states that it is in draft format it is in fact the final version.


Report	PDF
Physical Development Vision for Newhaven Stage 2
Physical Development Vision for Newhaven Stage 2 - Appendix A Part 1
Physical Development Vision for Newhaven Stage 2 - Appendix A Part 2
Physical Development Vision for Newhaven Stage 2 - Appendix A Part 3
Physical Development Vision for Newhaven Stage 2 - Appendix A Part 4
Physical Development Vision for Newhaven Stage 2 - Appendix B
Physical Development Vision for Newhaven Stage 2 - Appendix C
Physical Development Vision for Newhaven Stage 2 - Appendix D
Physical Development Vision for Newhaven Stage 2 - Appendix E
Physical Development Vision for Newhaven Stage 2 - Appendix F
Physical Development Vision for Newhaven Stage 2 - Appendix G

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