Friends of Lewes

Have you heard of the Friends of Lewes? Do you know who they are or what they do? It has been in existence since 1952 and is its members are concerned with conserving the environment of the town of Lewes and its immediate surrounding area. It is an independent, non-political registered charity that is similar to civic societies in many other towns. It recognises that Lewes needs to remain an economically vibrant place and realises that changes will continue in the future. However it will strive for the historic aspects of the town to be respected and enhanced through good design and by ensuring that it continues to remain a good place in which people can live and work.
To achieve its aims the Society takes a close interest in the planning system by commenting as appropriate on planning policy documents as well as all planning applications in Lewes and the immediate surrounding area. It is opposed to new building on greenfield sites and for that reason has opposed the zoning of the fields at Old Malling Farm for development. On the other hand it has supported the Town of Lewes Neighbourhood Plan as its proposals are for brownfield development and to provide housing for people on low incomes. Where it opposes planning applications there are good design reasons for doing so and to assist potential applicants it has published advice notes on garden rooms, dormer windows and shop fronts. The Society has also produced a number of books about Lewes including one on its Inns, one on street names and on its Twittens,
The road system in Lewes, which was conceived long before the car became dominant, has always concerned the Society. In its early days it led a campaign against a County Council proposal to drive an inner relief road through the town from the Brighton Road to Malling Street. Fortunately this was scrapped, apart from the non-controversial building of Phoenix Causeway, and a Southern by-pass constructed instead. More recently the Society campaigned for the change of priority at the north end of Fisher Street in order to reduce air pollution there, and for pavement parking to be banned in the town centre so that the pavements can be restored to their former condition and consequently made cleaner and more pleasant for pedestrians.
Trees are an important part of Lewes and through its Trees Committee the Society has started a planting programme to increase tree cover and reinstate those that have been lost in many public places such as St Anne’s Hill.
Recognising that tourism is now a key part of the Lewes economy the Society has provided maps in the car parks of the town and a series of plaques to tell people about the buildings on which they are placed or the people who have lived there. It has also given small grants to churches and other bodies to facilitate desirable environmental improvements such as repairs to flint walls or hi-viz vests for those undertaking litter collections. Currently it is working on a project to improve the ambiance of the area beside the Maltings car park which will make it a place where one can sit among the historic surroundings of the castle.
All these activities are done by volunteers and to achieve them good relations have been built up with the various statutory authorities. Often the Society’s involvement in a scheme has levered funding from others, whilst in some cases a joint venture has been the way in which progress has been made. As a result of its reputation the Society also sits on a number of advisory boards whilst its view are often sought on new schemes.
For its members the Society provides quarterly newsletters and a number of talks each year on subjects of interest. It has a website:
friends-of-lewes.org.uk which gives further details of what it has done and is doing. If you would like to support its activities please consider becoming a member for which there is a modest annual subscription. Application forms can be obtained either by visiting the website or by picking up a leaflet in the Town Hall