charles style
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Re:relocation Lewes car valeting - 2006/04/18 04:38
I appreciate Marco getting involved in this matter and do not consider that he has compromised his editorial independence in doing so.
We have been negotiating for some time with some of the larger businesses on the Phoenix Industrial Estate to design buildings to accomodate them in Malling Brooks and we are close to agreeing these deals. A new fire station has also been designed for Malling Brooks.
I will admit we have been remiss in not contacting all the smaller businesses earlier. We will now recitfy this situation, and will be contacting all the remaining occupiers that have not already been contacted by us this week to discuss their needs.
I am confident that all the existing businesses on the Phoenix Estate can be accomodated either in purpose built new space that we will be creating in Malling Brooks or in vacant industrial space that exists on the other estates in Lewes.
There is currently at least 60,000 sq ft of vacant space in Cliffe Industrial Estate and Malling Industrial Estate. I appreciate that the vacant space that is currently available will not be suitable for all businesses either because the units are the wrong size or because they are too expensive or in the wrong location for their businesses.
It should be understood by the townspeople that we do accept that some businesses need cheap space and small unit sizes and we will be building space to accomodate them. The townspeople also need to understand that a lot of the property on Phoenix is rented at sub market rents, because we cannot offer any security of tenure as redevelopment is planned and as a lot of the units are inefficient or poorly constructed or both therefore the rents per sq ft compared to a new efficient purpose built unit has to be lower.
I am confident that it will be possible for us to accomodate most of the existing businesses at rents they can afford, or that we will sell them freeholds of their new premises , which I understand is preferrable to them. The others will be able to relocate elsewhere in Lewes or in the district. We are aware that some of the services that currently are on the site need to be near to the town and would not be suitable to be relocated to Newhaven for example.
It should also be pointed out that due to the fact that our mixed use scheme includes a lot of new commercial uses in the Phoenix Quarter the net result of the proposal is at least 800 new jobs for Lewes and a lot of jobs in sectors not currently available in Lewes. There will be no loss of jobs in sectors currently provided for. We have been very open with the Lewes Chamber of Commerce and Lewes District Council about our strategy and hope to be able to make a major positive impact on the future economic viability and vitality of the area.
We look forward to seeing the results of both surveys undertaken by Lewes Matters and hope their results will be useful in us being able to create a new Quarter that fulfills the needs of the people and the businesses of Lewes. We will divulge all the information regarding the relocation of all existing businesses at the earliest possible opportunity.
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