This new neighbourhood will provide a wide mix of high quality, energy efficient homes, designed to meet the housing needs of Lewes and reduce utility bills for residents
The Phoenix will provide accommodation that reflects the genuine housing needs of Lewes. This means a high number of one and two-bedroom homes, particularly aimed at young people, young families, and older people who are looking to downsize. These types of homes are rare in Lewes – a town where housing supply is not meeting demand, resulting in rising prices, falling school numbers and an ageing population, with younger people being pushed away.
Our proposals make good use of this precious, but increasingly derelict, brownfield site, with a much-needed supply of high quality homes, community buildings, workspace and generous public space, creating a place for the whole town, not just those who live here.
There will be up to 700 homes in the neighbourhood, the vast majority of which will be apartments, addressing this need for smaller homes, thereby housing a wide mix of people well. These will be mostly one-bedroom (37%) and two-bedroom homes (33%), with some three (24%) and four bedroom homes (6%).
Housing that is genuinely affordable for local people is key to the success of the Phoenix as a truly inclusive neighbourhood. There will be up to 210 affordable homes, or 30% of the total number, which will be designated as either First Homes or affordable rent (including 92 Lewes Low-Cost Housing).
– First Homes (as defined by the government) must be discounted by a minimum of 30% against the market value and be sold to first-time buyers for a maximum price of £250,000
– Affordable rented housing must be at a level of rent which does not exceed the Local Housing Allowance for the area. The two and three-bedroom homes within this category are defined as Lewes Low Cost Housing, a bespoke category of affordable housing introduced by the Lewes Neighbourhood Plan and defined as “the maximum cost affordable on the average Lewes salary”
Furthermore, those living at the Phoenix will enjoy lower utility bills due to the neighbourhood’s highly efficient homes, which are powered by renewable energy on a data-led grid, saving around 10-20% on utility bills, with heating bills up to 80% lower than in traditional developments. Those who take advantage of the on-site co-mobility services; the community canteen, which serves low-cost seasonal food; and the reuse and repair centres, will see further savings. This approach has been developed with the help of our Affordable Living and Housing Working Group, made up of local people with expertise in this area, and we are grateful for all the advice that we have been given.
As we have written before, the Phoenix is a challenging site, with high land, remediation and infrastructure costs – particularly the costs associated with flood defences that protect the site and the Pells area. Santon’s North Street Quarter, the previously consented scheme, did not provide enough housing to cover these costs (or provide the correct mix of homes to address the aforementioned demand), and is widely considered to be unviable. Human Nature and its investors have elected to take a more modest profit margin compared to traditional developments in order to deliver the affordable homes and wider community and economic benefits for the town that the Park and District Council have asked for, as well as to deliver a high quality and sustainable scheme.
To put this in further context, over the five years to 2021/22, a total of 196 affordable homes have been built in the entire National Park – compared to an assessed need of 1,470 homes – at an average of 16% of the total number of homes across the relevant residential developments. No Lewes Low Cost Homes have been built to date, with only 14 approved (and so far unimplemented) in recent planning applications.
(Image credit: Human Nature with Periscope / Carlos Penálver / Ash Sakula)
This new neighbourhood will provide a wide mix of high quality, energy efficient homes, designed to meet the housing needs of Lewes and reduce utility bills for residents
The Phoenix will provide accommodation that reflects the genuine housing needs of Lewes. This means a high number of one and two-bedroom homes, particularly aimed at young people, young families, and older people who are looking to downsize. These types of homes are rare in Lewes – a town where housing supply is not meeting demand, resulting in rising prices, falling school numbers and an ageing population, with younger people being pushed away.
Our proposals make good use of this precious, but increasingly derelict, brownfield site, with a much-needed supply of high quality homes, community buildings, workspace and generous public space, creating a place for the whole town, not just those who live here.
There will be up to 700 homes in the neighbourhood, the vast majority of which will be apartments, addressing this need for smaller homes, thereby housing a wide mix of people well. These will be mostly one-bedroom (37%) and two-bedroom homes (33%), with some three (24%) and four bedroom homes (6%).
Housing that is genuinely affordable for local people is key to the success of the Phoenix as a truly inclusive neighbourhood. There will be up to 210 affordable homes, or 30% of the total number, which will be designated as either First Homes or affordable rent (including 92 Lewes Low-Cost Housing).
– First Homes (as defined by the government) must be discounted by a minimum of 30% against the market value and be sold to first-time buyers for a maximum price of £250,000
– Affordable rented housing must be at a level of rent which does not exceed the Local Housing Allowance for the area. The two and three-bedroom homes within this category are defined as Lewes Low Cost Housing, a bespoke category of affordable housing introduced by the Lewes Neighbourhood Plan and defined as “the maximum cost affordable on the average Lewes salary”
Furthermore, those living at the Phoenix will enjoy lower utility bills due to the neighbourhood’s highly efficient homes, which are powered by renewable energy on a data-led grid, saving around 10-20% on utility bills, with heating bills up to 80% lower than in traditional developments. Those who take advantage of the on-site co-mobility services; the community canteen, which serves low-cost seasonal food; and the reuse and repair centres, will see further savings. This approach has been developed with the help of our Affordable Living and Housing Working Group, made up of local people with expertise in this area, and we are grateful for all the advice that we have been given.
As we have written before, the Phoenix is a challenging site, with high land, remediation and infrastructure costs – particularly the costs associated with flood defences that protect the site and the Pells area. Santon’s North Street Quarter, the previously consented scheme, did not provide enough housing to cover these costs (or provide the correct mix of homes to address the aforementioned demand), and is widely considered to be unviable. Human Nature and its investors have elected to take a more modest profit margin compared to traditional developments in order to deliver the affordable homes and wider community and economic benefits for the town that the Park and District Council have asked for, as well as to deliver a high quality and sustainable scheme.
To put this in further context, over the five years to 2021/22, a total of 196 affordable homes have been built in the entire National Park – compared to an assessed need of 1,470 homes – at an average of 16% of the total number of homes across the relevant residential developments. No Lewes Low Cost Homes have been built to date, with only 14 approved (and so far unimplemented) in recent planning applications.
(Image credit: Human Nature with Periscope / Carlos Penálver / Ash Sakula)