The Lewes District Core Strategy is at least a year away, and there is currently no firm housing target for Newick for the period to 2030. One of the SHLAA site promoters decided to try to preempt the subsequent choice process by submitting an application immediately.

John Kay offered CPRE's assistance both to the chair of Newick Parish Council and the chair of the Parish Council’s Planning Committee(who as a council are CPRE members) and met with them.

Another member of the CPRE Lewes committee, Chris Hipwell, who is a Newick resident, attended the Newick parish council meeting at which the application was discussed, this was also attended by the aspirant developer.

We submitted formal representations from "the Lewes District branch of CPRE Sussex" in which we were able to rebut a number of the assertions made in the applicants' planning brief supporting the application.

It was reported by that those who attended the parish council meeting that the applicants' representatives appeared taken aback by the arguments raised there.

The application has now been formally withdrawn.

Newick parish council has now decided that it will develop a Neighbourhood Plan.

‘Newick Hill’ -the site proposed for development - is shown as ‘08NW’ on the SHLAA map also downloadable as an attachment.