April 3 2012.


The Arrowcroft proposals for the Newhaven Railway Quarter regeneration include an improved entrance to Newhaven port, a new ferry terminal building and improved passenger and freight vehicle stacking facilities, the restoration of the vacant listed Marine Workshops and Carpenter's Shop buildings and a new public riverside boardwalk. A new foodstore providing approximately 350 new jobs will be built alongside the river, plus improved parking facilities and a new transport interchange, providing a better connection to the Town Centre and a new, attractive setting for Newhaven Town Railway Station.

The scheme is fully supported by the landowners, West Register and Newhaven Port and Properties. If planning permission is granted, construction will start as soon as contracts are agreed, and the scheme is expected to be fully built and open to the public in 2014. The construction of the foodstore and filling station, ground and civil works on roads, car parking and quayside, renovation of the listed buildings, and development of new ferry facilities will, it is claimed, provide significant, high value contract opportunities for local businesses.

Local engineers Helmsley Orrell have already been instructed by West Register and Newhaven Port and Properties to demolish the existing derelict boardwalk and are due to start this work in the next few weeks. Joss Brushfield, Director of West Register, said: "These works are the first step to clearing up Railway Quay to make it ready for redevelopment. We are in a position to begin construction as soon as planning consent is granted."

Simon Petar, Corporate Affairs Manager for Tesco, who would lease the food store at Railway Quarter, said: "Tesco is fully committed to moving into the food store at Railway Quarter should planning consent be granted. The redevelopment plans for Newhaven are very exciting and we are delighted to be a part of the regeneration of the town. We look forward to our continued work with Arrowcroft and the local community as these plans progress. We believe the store will complement the proposals and be of huge benefit to shoppers in Newhaven."

Arrowcroft's public consultation exercise, which took place from December 2011 to March 2012, enabled Arrowcroft to engage with hundreds of local residents, many of whom contributed comments and questions through the completion of a consultation questionnaire. Of the 152 people who completed the questionnaire, (either at the public exhibition, Newhaven Town Council's 'Big Planning Event', or on the project website), 131 (86%) stated that they support the Railway Quarter proposal.

Daniel Carter, Development Director for Arrowcroft, said: 'We have received some fantastic feedback from local residents who, like us, are keen to revitalise Newhaven and stimulate economic growth.

'An awful lot of people have told us that the regeneration of Railway Quay is long overdue, so now is the time for the local community to make their views known to Lewes District Council. We are ready to start building Railway Quarter, which will be the catalyst that kick starts the broader regeneration of Newhaven which already has the support of East Sussex County Council, Lewes District Council, Newhaven Town Council and Norman Baker MP.'

Members of the public wishing to comment on the planning application can do so now by writing to: The Planning Department, Lewes District Council, Southover House, Southover Road, Lewes, East Sussex,BN7 1AB; or by emailing planning@lewes.gov.uk and quoting application reference number LW/11/1301. Arrowcroft will be sending further information to local residents next week.

The coalition government's National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), which came into force on Tuesday 27th March 2012 reiterates the importance that the government attaches to town centres and clearly states that accessible edge-of-centre sites, (such as Railway Quay), are preferred over and above out-of-centre retail developments. It also states that opportunities for new employment should be protected by planning positively for the location, and that the promotion of high technology industries such as wind power, for which employment land is allocated in Newhaven, must be protected. Railway Quarter also meets the overriding 'sustainability' theme of the NPPF, positively fulfilling an economic, social and environmental role and favouring the regeneration of the Port and transport infrastructure such as Newhaven Town Railway Station.