Cycle Lewes supports Human Nature’s Planning Application

Cycle Lewes support for Human Nature planning application (SDNP/23/00526/OUT)

Cycle Lewes has written to the South Downs National Park to formally reiterate our support for Human Nature's proposals for the Phoenix Site, especially the welcome changes made following the Planning Committee held in October 2023.

Cycle Lewes welcome the fact the scheme, as submitted, will deliver:

- 685 high-quality homes, including 205 affordable homes made up of 'affordable rent' homes at local housing allowance levels and First Homes

- Public space for all, including a new river walk and central square built around two heritage structures, one containing an affordable community canteen and wintergarden, the other a taproom and makers' space

- Mobility services for the site, which could grow to support sustainable mobility across the town and demonstrate how Lewes as a whole could reduce traffic and promote walking, wheeling and cycling

- An estimated 381 jobs in the local economy and on the Phoenix, plus an estimated 525 people employed during the construction phase, with an emphasis on training local apprentices

- 10,000 sqm of service, commercial and employment space in healthcare, light industry, creative business, hotel and hospitality, and a small amount of retail

- Huge investment in the town including £7m in Community Infrastructure Levy, plus an estimated £11.8m spend each year, of which £3.9m will be new spend in the town

We approve of the more recent changes made to the scheme following discussions with officers and in the light of the comments made by Members at the October committee particularly those related to active travel and the move away from a reliance on car-based journeys:

We welcome the improved Co-Mobility Services that consist of:

- An E-car club / Car hire scheme (available by the minute/hour/day) with a fleet of 45 vehicles (with electric charging facilities) of varying sizes including smaller and larger cars and vans that will be available to new residents of the site and existing residents within Lewes, operated from the Co-Mobility Hub and managed via a consolidated mobility services app and telephone.

- An E-bike / E-cargo bike hire scheme (similar to a 'Beryl' bike scheme), operated from the 'Bike Hub' (block 10C), where charging facilities will be provided, a service that will be managed via a consolidated mobility services app and telephone service.

- The provision of a number of 'virtual' cycle-parking locations across the site and surrounding areas at locations to be agreed with ESCC, including Lewes Railway Station, to improve connectivity.

- An enhanced public transport provision with bus stops provided directly outside the Co-Mobility Hub.

- The Co-Mobility Hub building that will include:

o A last-mile delivery service organised by the mobility staff

o Click and Collect point

o Parcel lockers

o c. 310 car parking spaces. In order to meet the parking requirements identified in the parking accumulation model, 106 permits will be allocated to residents of the Proposed Development. These permits will be allocated on a pro-rata basis as the scheme is built out, ensuring that permits can be allocated fairly, and monitoring of progress against the modal shift targets can be reviewed in real-time during the construction of the scheme.

We also support the Additional Public Transport Provision (Shuttle Bus) that proposes an additional bus service based on (but not limited to) the following principles:

○ It will operate both within the site, and between the site and key destinations in Lewes (including Lewes Railway Station), at frequencies and on routes to be agreed with ESCC. It will also provide regular services from the rest of the town to the Health Hub and other facilities and amenities that will be provided in on the site, particularly given the amalgamation of existing health centres;

○ It will complement, and not compete with, the existing bus provision that is already available in Lewes, and will be directly related to additional demand for public transport associated with the Proposed Development;

○ It will be provided in the most sustainable way possible, using the most sustainable technology available, and will be as reliable and responsive as possible, using appropriate technology;

○ It will be fully accessible to all users including visually impaired, wheelchair and other vulnerable users;

○ It will be procured through a mechanism to be agreed with ESCC and enshrined in the Section 106 agreement.

● The service will be funded for five years subject to a maximum amount of £200,000 per year payable by agreed instalments and subject to annual reviews of the levels of occupancy and usage. The service will be monitored for the first five years, as with the other Co-Mobility Services, to assess its impact on modal shift. The suitability of the proposed level of funding for the service will be reviewed by ESCC as part of the wider package of funding available for off-site improvements.

● the provision of 3 bus lay- bys on the northern side of the Phoenix Causeway, comprising high quality bus stop facilities including bus shelters, Real Time Passenger Information (RTPI) boards (the information service to be provided by ESCC and the bus operators); and toilets and a cafe associated with the neighbouring Health Hub.

● The three bus lay bys will be adjacent to the Co-Mobility Hub offering an easy, free interchange between existing public transport and the proposed Co-Mobility services.

Cycle Parking

We welcome the provision of 1471 secure private cycle parking spaces within the residential parts of the site, with additional cycle parking spaces made available across the site in accessible and secure locations for visitors to the site.

Safe Green Streets

We welcome that the Phoenix development, and the proposed off-site works, will create streets which are safe for walking, wheeling and cycling, while the proposed modal shift will reduce any impact on air quality. There will be no on-street parking except for blue badge and pick up/ drop off creating a largely car-free environment on the Phoenix.

We recognise and endorse the evidence (Marmot Review Implications for Spatial Planning, NICE, Marmot 2010) of the significant health benefits in terms of air quality, reduction in accidents and combating social isolation of having safe, green streets.

We welcome the further Section 106 commitments, as listed below:

Walking and Cycling Infrastructure Improvements

In addition to the above on-site measures proposed at the outset of the development to achieve the proposed modal shift, we welcome the following offsite walking and cycling infrastructure improvement at an estimated cost of £650,000 excl.vat:

● Widening and surfacing works to the existing Pells Footway to enable a shared footway / cycleway (see Reference 308.1.3 of the East Sussex LCWIP, Sustrans, 2018) that will connect into the improved walking / cycling provision along North Street which will in turn improve connectivity to the wider surrounding area.

● Upgrading / converting the junction of the High Street / Eastgate Street to raised table junction that will provide the following non-signalling improvements at the junction of High Street / Eastgate Street

 Provision of a raised table controlled pedestrian crossing in grey block paving; and

 Provision of pedestrian crossing studs in metal to assist with guiding pedestrians across the junction.

● Provision of improvements for pedestrians (dropped kerbs and tactile paving) at various junctions across the town following a comprehensive review of the surrounding walking network across the town identifying key walking routes to and from the development. We support the proposed improvements to crossing facilities (i.e. dropped kerbs / tactile paving) at the following junctions:

 Junction of North Street / Little East Street;

 Junction of Little East Street / Little East Street Car Park Exit;

 Junction of North Street / East Street;

 Junction of North Street / West Street / Market Street;

 Junction of Eastgate Street / East Street (provision already provided at this location as part of access design);

 Junction of Eastgate Street / Eastgate Wharf (Waitrose Entrance);

 Junction of Friars Walk / Access Road; and

 Junction of Friars Walk / Pinwell Road.

We also welcome:

The upgrade to the four existing cycle parking areas across the town via an arrangement to be agreed with ESCC and the establishment of 'virtual' cycle parking locations which will be provided across the site and surrounding areas at suitable locations to be discussed and agreed with ESCC (and would wish to be consulted on this work).

These will be designated areas where E-bikes / E-cargo bikes can be picked up / dropped off, accessed and managed via an app, without any physical infrastructure, which gives much more flexibility in terms of where they can be located.

We also welcome the commitment to monitor and manage these facilities, their use and effectiveness through a Travel Plan.

We note the Travel Plan will be a long-term strategy which aims to encourage people to use alternatives to private cars which we support. The Plan includes a range of measures which encourage people to walk, cycle, use public transport and share car journeys to achieve the targeted modal shift. The travel plan includes any travel issues which need to be addressed, details of how people travel to the site, an action plan, a specific car reduction target and details of how the travel plan will be monitored and reported on. The Travel Plan will be secured through the Section 106 Agreement.

Additionally, Cycle Lewes supports the other changes to the scheme since the October Planning Committee:

- the changes to the Design Code which will remove uncertainty regarding future phases of the scheme, making a number of requirements mandatory, covering areas such as planting, play spaces, roofscapes and materials. As Members expressed concern about design quality, we believe these changes address these concerns in full

- the positive progress made with respect to the Section 106 agreement ensuring stated ambitions and promises become legal obligations. This will provide confidence related to the delivery of the 30% affordable housing (including 92 Lewes Low Cost Homes); the provision for mobility services; the commitment to sustainable construction practices - including building in timber; clarification of the public rights of access to the Phoenix; the estate management plan; and the financial obligations to improve town infrastructure

- the fresh evidence provided regarding 'modal shift' - the move away from total reliance on private vehicle ownership which we fully support. We are persuaded that this modelling demonstrates that residents on the Phoenix will be easily able to share or hire vehicles from the Co-Mobility Hub when needed; they will be able to walk, wheel or cycle where they so desire; and that the limited parking is primarily reserved for those who really do need to own vehicles, especially for work

- the Phoenix forward-thinking approach, which aligns with many of those who have chosen to live in Lewes (see outcome of Lewes Climate Hub Transport Season - held in July 2023). The residents of the town are seeking a transport policy that prioritises place making over the needs of the driver and supports the creation of safer streets and reduced air pollution. Given that transport accounts for approximately 40% of carbon emissions, this approach is essential if we are achieve the climate goals of the Park Authority, the County Council and the country.

- We believe the scheme provides an exemplar of the principles that should be followed for all other major applications in and around Lewes (and further afield) if we as a country and a community are to achieve our sustainability aspirations resulting from the climate emergency that all tiers of government - in Lewes, in the United Kingdom and across the world - have acknowledged.

We welcome the Phoenix - Human Nature proposals to create a sustainable, low carbon, liveable, low traffic, '15- minute neighbourhood' in the centre of Lewes. The designs contained within the revised planning application provide much needed housing and employment opportunities on this strategically significant site.

The scheme builds in encouragement for walking and cycling travel behaviours from the beginning through the design of the streets and public realm, which propose minimal circulation of motor vehicles and provision of limited on-street parking for loading and accessibility/access needs only. This will be achieved by de-incentivising driving for short journeys, whilst encouraging, enabling and incentivising residents to use a range of active and non-car-based modes of travel for all or most trips, whilst also providing the facility of a car club for those who need a vehicle for occasional journeys, or for access needs.

We applaud the revised plans for the North Street site, that will enable and encourage residents and visitors to adopt healthy and sustainable behaviours that will result in cost savings for the local NHS and council-funded care sector; reduce the impact of motor vehicles across the wider town, vital to reduce air and noise pollution, and to minimise motor vehicle congestion; provide the basis for a radical improvement to the public realm and overall environment in the ancient and historic market town of Lewes.

We welcome the 'Decide and Provide' and associated user-centric survey and assessment model that the applicants have undertaken to support the application. Car ownership will be reduced. Consolidating and limiting car parking provision for visitors in a Mobility Hub has the potential to reduce the additional number of vehicle movements in Lewes; this is welcomed.

We consider this an exemplar approach and one that should be applied elsewhere in the town as we seek to limit the impact of the 3,000 vehicles that utilise Lewes High Street (Intelligent Data Services survey, autumn 2021) as a through-route every day, to the detriment of the town, as well as the other trips that could be taken by more active travel modes.

These ambitious but vital plans for this neighbourhood have the potential to act as a model for wider change throughout the town to make streets safer for walkers, cyclists and wheelers and the creation of a network of cycle routes.

We believe the scheme is consistent with the National Park planning policy for this site and with the Park's broader policies and objectives related to addressing and mitigating the impact of climate change. The scheme is also consistent with the "decide and provide" approach to transport planning promoted by the Highway Authority in their emerging Local Transport Plan 4 as discussed with a range of stakeholders over the past year.

We commend you to approve this scheme.

Sheila O'Sullivan

Chair

On behalf of Cycle Lewes

18 January 2024