Lewes News
The latest Lewes news: planning decisions, council and crime updates, business and community stories, each linked back to its official source.
Top story
Lewes District Food Hygiene: All 19 September Ratings Are 5s
Every food hygiene rating from a September inspection in Lewes district is a 5, six of them school kitchens. Four places still hold a 1 from this spring and summer.
More stories
Newhaven
Guild Care Newhaven Charity Superstore Planned for 2027
Guild Care plans a 10,500 sq ft charity superstore and donation centre beside KFC and Lidl in Newhaven, opening in early 2027, with jobs and volunteer roles.
Planning
Lewes Lidl: Second Brooks Road Bid In, Comments Close 26 Oct
Lidl's second Brooks Road application is with the National Park, and comments close 26 October. Noise officers have already objected over deliveries.
Seaford
Seaford Mermaids Big Swim Raises £5,271 for Newhaven RNLI
The Seaford Mermaids' seventh Big Swim has raised £5,271 online for Newhaven RNLI, plus Gift Aid. The lifeboat station's open day added over £3,000.
Lewes
Fitzroy House Lewes: Last 3 Shows of Its Arts Week
The 1862 Fitzroy library on Lewes High Street hosts three last shows to 4 October: dance for babies, Indian classical music and Shakespeare. Tickets £5 to £15.
House prices
Lewes House Prices Up £2,990, Best Rise in East Sussex
The Lewes district average reached £368,408 in July, up £2,990 in a year and the best rise in East Sussex. Prices have edged down since April; flats fell 2.1%.
Lewes
Lewes Station Cash Machine to Go: 13 October to Object
Barclays will shut the ATM at 1 Station Road on or after 11 December. LINK found no gap in Lewes and stopped at step one of three. Reviews close 13 October.
Lewes
Lewes Hamsey Bridge: £558,000 Clears Call-In, Not Released
Wealden's £558,000 for the Ouse bridge survived a five-councillor call-in on 21 September. But no money moves until the South Downs park commits its third.
Newhaven
Waverley Sails From Newhaven Tuesday, First Since the 80s
The world's last seagoing paddle steamer leaves Newhaven Harbour at 10.30am on Tuesday, her first sailing from the port since the 1980s. It is sold out.
Lewes
Lewes Bonfire: Last Train Back From London Is 3.24pm
Trains stop calling at Lewes from 5pm on Thursday 5 November. The council has confirmed the last services: 3.24pm from Victoria, 5.02pm out of Lewes.
Environment
Lewes Tree Charter: 10 Rights for Trees and What It Changes
Lewes Town Council voted unanimously on 10 September to back ten rights for every tree in town. What it commits the council to, and what it cannot do.
Jobs
Lewes Claimant Count Up Just 30 in a Year, Under-25s Up 45
2,015 people were claiming in the Lewes district in August, up 1.5% in a year and the smallest rise in East Sussex. Under-25 claims rose 45 as older ones fell.
Travel
Lewes to London Trains: No Direct Off-Peak Service Monday
From 14 September, off-peak Lewes trains terminate at Haywards Heath and you change there for London. Peak trains and weekends are unchanged, for four weeks.
Council
Lewes Council to Hold £2.39m Developer Cash for A259
Councillors see the plan on 17 September: £2,389,096 of the district's £3.09m strategic developer pot held back to unlock 85% government funding for the A259.
Council
Peacehaven Move to Brighton and Hove Paused by Review
The transfer of Peacehaven, Telscombe Cliffs and East Saltdean into Brighton and Hove is on hold, and May 2027 now means a Lewes District Council election.
Newhaven
Newhaven Wellbeing Square Is Open, But Not the Pool Yet
Both GP surgeries and the new gym are open at the £21m Newhaven health hub. The swimming pool returns at the end of September and the pharmacy has no date.
Lewes
Lewes to Uckfield Greenway: Hamsey Bridge Two Thirds Funded
Wealden approved £558,000 for Hamsey Bridge on 2 September, matching Lewes district. The last third rests with the South Downs park, which meets on 17 September.
Lewes
Offham Road Crossing Petition: 261 Names, 5,000 Needed
The Offham Road petition had 261 names on 6 September and closes 31 December. East Sussex needs 5,000 signatures for a council debate, 2,500 for officer evidence.
Newhaven
Newhaven Shopfronts: £100,000 Spent, 17 Shops Done
Newhaven Enterprise Zone has put nearly £100,000 into 17 town centre shopfronts. Grants of up to £7,500 are still open, and you need £2,500 of your own to get one.
Lewes
Lewes Solar Share Offer: £34,900 of £245,000 Raised
Ovesco wants £245,000 from local investors for solar at Raystede, Bevern Trust and Holmansbridge Farm. It has £34,900 from 19 people and until 31 October.
Planning
3,000 Homes at Plumpton: How to Have Your Say in September
Consultation opens on a 3,000-home town between Plumpton Green and South Chailey. Eton College owns the land, and the promoters' own timetable says December 2026.
Newhaven
Newhaven Mencap Launches Minibus Appeal After 61 Years
Newhaven, Lewes and District Mencap has launched an appeal for an accessible minibus. The charity runs on £34,576 a year, three trustees and five volunteers.
Planning
Lewes Lidl: Redesigned Brooks Road Store Out for Comment
Lidl has redrawn its Brooks Road store after a triple refusal in December. Feedback is open now, and the new application is due in September or October.
Trains
Lewes Trains: Haywards Heath Line Reopens 1 September
The Lewes to Haywards Heath line reopens on Tuesday 1 September, Network Rail and Southern confirm. Until then, buses no longer stop at Cooksbridge.
Jobs
Lewes Claimant Count: Newhaven South Ward Hits 6.7%
Newhaven South's claimant rate is 6.7%, above every East Sussex district average. The Lewes district had 2,055 claimants in July, up 110 in a year.
Trains
Lewes derailment: CCTV shows track fault on approach
RAIB says CCTV from earlier trains shows a track irregularity where the Southern service left the rails near Lewes, and passengers reported rough riding.
House prices
Lewes house prices rose £6,142 as East Sussex fell
The district average hit £367,918 in June, up £6,142 in a year, while East Sussex overall fell 0.9% and Eastbourne lost £9,629. Flats were the exception.
Trains
Lewes derailment: no trains to Haywards Heath, what runs
The line between Lewes and Haywards Heath stays shut until further notice after Thursday's derailment. Buses via Cooksbridge and Plumpton, London via Brighton, and how refunds and Delay Repay work.
Lewes
Pells Lake: Lewes council may move fish as water drops
Lewes Town Council may move the Pells Lake fish to safety after heatwaves left the lake so low it would take hundreds of thousands of litres to refill.
Barcombe
Hamsey Road reopening: culvert repairs run to October
Hamsey Road at Barcombe is set to reopen around early October, ten weeks after culvert repairs began on 27 July. It has been closed since 10 December.
News
Lewes planning news: 8,568 homes against a 15,000 need
The draft Local Plan finds sites for 8,568 homes where the Government's method needs about 15,000. What the gap means, and why Lewes town is not in the plan.