Proposals to redevelop the former bus station on Eastgate Street in Lewes will be put on display at a drop-in exhibition for public consultation on 20 October and also online at Eastgatestreetlewes.com
A carefully selected design team of multi-disciplined professionals including the award-winning architecture practice ECE Architecture is working collaboratively on the proposals with the developer Generator Group. Generator Group purchased the site in April.
The town centre site, which has been allocated for redevelopment for over 15 years, has potential to deliver new homes, spaces for small businesses and a safe and attractive pedestrian landscape and active street frontage between the High Street and the Phoenix Estate.
Despite popular belief, the property has not housed a bus station since Southdown Motor Services/Stagecoach sold it off in 2006, when it was deemed no longer operationally necessary and ceased being used as a bus station, office and bus garaging.
It was agreed by the owner of the site at the time that East Sussex County Council and the bus companies could on a temporary licence basis, continue to use the tarmac areas of the bus station for dropping off and picking up passengers only.
The former bus station facilities have since been let to various tenants including a café, a charity literature company, a builder for the storage of materials and a warehouse for furniture.
East Sussex County Council is responsible for the provision of bus stops in Lewes, but to assist with finding a longer-term solution, Generator Group has commissioned an expert transport consultancy to undertake a review of possible locations in Lewes town centre for the reprovision of the bus stops currently on site and this will be shared for comment as part of the public consultation.
The public exhibition will be open 12-8pm on Wednesday 20th October at the warehouse next to the bus stops at the former Lewes Bus Station, Eastgate Street, Lewes, BN7 2LP.
A spokesperson from Generator Group said, “We encourage local people to visit our exhibition and look forward to discussing our proposals with you.”
You can also view the proposals and give your feedback online at Eastgatestreetlewes.com from midday on 20th October to 3rd November.
