The Lewes Post is an independent news and information site for Lewes, Seaford, Newhaven, Peacehaven and the villages of the district. We read the public record and publish what is in it, and we keep the practical local pages accurate.
Four towns, and the sizes surprise people
Lewes has the county town history, the castle, the courts and the name, but Seaford has more residents, and Peacehaven and Newhaven are not far behind. The district council shares a good deal of its administration with Eastbourne, and since 2023 it has run from Newhaven rather than Lewes. None of that is obvious from the outside, and all of it affects where decisions about your street actually get taken.
Who decides planning here
This is worth getting right. Much of the district sits inside the South Downs National Park, and inside that boundary planning applications are determined by the South Downs National Park Authority, not by Lewes District Council. Outside it, the district council decides. East Sussex County Council runs roads, schools and social care throughout. We name the responsible authority in every story and link to its own record.
What we work from
The district council’s planning register and committee papers, the national park authority’s register, licensing notices, police.uk crime data, HM Land Registry sold prices, Food Standards Agency hygiene ratings, Environment Agency flood warnings for the Ouse and the coast, and company filings in The Gazette. Flooding on the Ouse is a standing local subject and we report the official warnings rather than the version going round.
Reorganisation: paused, September 2026
In July 2026 the government decided that Lewes District Council would be abolished in April 2028 and absorbed into a new East Sussex Council, with four wards covering Peacehaven, Telscombe Cliffs and East Saltdean transferred to Brighton and Hove instead. On 7 September 2026 the government paused that decision and put it into a review with no published closing date, and told councils to stop implementation work. Nothing has moved, April 2028 is no longer a fixed date, and elections in May 2027 will be held to existing boundaries. We report the detail from the published documents as it is settled rather than guessing at it. Our latest coverage is at Peacehaven’s move to Brighton paused.
Tips and corrections
Email hello@lewespost.co.uk with a tip, an event worth listing, or a correction. Tips are treated in confidence, and corrections are made quickly and noted on the page.
The Lewes Post is published by the GOB Media Group.