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I cannot be the only person reading this who is quite shocked by what you write. It is inconsistant, and vague. People are only commenting on the information they were shown by you, and Mr Stockdale's flyer now seems to have been more accurate than you would lead us to believe.This is very worrying. If we read back through this thread you have offered no information at all. You constantly refer us to drawings, but when we ask for details of these drawings,you won't tell us what they are. How can this be consultation? Are you telling everyone that every single detail of what we have seen so far will be changed?
S.Oliver has asked for your knowledge of the proposed size of at least one extremely controversial tower block, but you still won't even give an idea of how big you consider 'slim' to be. Everybody thinks your comments are plainly ridiculous, a tower with a flat and lifts and stairs on each floor can't be 'slim', unless the buildings around it are so big they give it the appearance of looking 'slim'.You have clearly forgotten you are not building in London anymore. You proposed this tower, and it was not removed after the initial exhibition, so we have every reason to believe that you want to build it, and that your 'slim' is our 'very big'. You won't tell us these measurements, and you wont tell us what the Government density guidlines are. Many of us can't help but think, that you simply don't know.
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charles style
Re:Phoenix Action - 2006/04/23 20:28Dear Lucy, I will ask the architect on Monday to give an exact measurement on all the six tower elements of buildings. It is sunday afternoon and it is only yesterday since anyone asked me for this information. As I have said previously i fail to see the relevance as they are under review and the final design will be fully dimensioned, the exhibition was to show the scheme in evolution and was supposed to be used as a consultation exercise after which we would be finalising the scheme. We have still not finalised the scheme so ther dimensions given may change before the application. However to satisfy the curiosity of your self and others as to these exact dimensions we will get the architect to anwer. Likewise the density calculations and the guidelines that are applicable are not available to me on Sunday afternoon , however we will make sure they are available and posted on this website on Tuesday once the information is given to me by the architects. All these figures and calculations will of course be checked by Lewes District Council when we make our planning application. I am sorry if you feel we are not consulting sufficiently , I feel we are making an extraordinary effort to consult widely and openly and we will answer questions as and when they are put.
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Robert A
Re:Phoenix Action - 2006/04/23 22:00Charles, at the risk of being accused by my fellow townspeople of turning soft, I thank you for your efforts to respond to our questions and criticisms. I for one hope you continue to participate in this forum - it's made a great difference. On the other hand, I hope you will agree that our comments are all heartfelt i.e. that we're genuinely concerned and want to understand in full what is being proposed, and also have a part in the decision-making process. You and your colleagues will walk away from here before long, whether your development proceeds or not, but we're here for the duration. Maybe that's something architects and developers don't always appreciate - offices, bridges and public monuments are one thing, but flats, houses, shops and so on, forming part of the heart of an old town like Lewes, well that's something else altogether - you're playing God with our day-to-day lives. Please bear that in mind and don't get impatient with us - comments like those apparently made by your architect Piers Gough are so arrogant and patronising to us "little people". Hardly surprising we get a bit angry?
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elinor
Re:Phoenix Action - 2006/04/24 02:08Mr Style, I am really sorry to add to your list of questions, but do you think you could answer my enquiry in the traffic section next week too. I think it has been missed.
Thank you!
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I don't live in lewes anymore
Re:Phoenix Action - 2006/04/24 15:30I think... "six slim tower elements 6 - 8 storeys high" plunged into the banks of a meandering, tranquil river formed over the ages of time and framed by the soft bosoms of the South Downs... will look very nice. Like phallic symbols rising from Mother Earth, thrusting heavenwards... Understand I'm not trying to tell you your job... but can you can make them lean outward at the tops just a tadge to hint at a "V" shape? Kinda like symbolically shoving two fingers up. Plans will sail through no problem. PhilX
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charles style
Re:Phoenix Action - 2006/04/24 19:34Robert, I will continue to be open and honest about our plans, we will listen to reasonable and informed criticism and hopefully adapt the scheme to make people feel it is absolutely right for Lewes. I feel most people realise that the regeneration of the Phoenix area will bring great benefits to the town, there are viabiltiy issues that need to be addressed and that will be in our planning application. We also need to clarify the points on density and height of buildings so people can better understand the project and hopefully realise that what we are proposing is not as it has been described, a mini city, we do realise that Lewes is a county town and what works in parts of London will not work here . The difficulty I have is with the overall cynicism of people about the aims of property developers and architects, I will admit we have a bad image and I feel that there is a group of forward thinking architects and developers that is making headway to overcome this image problem. We wish to be part of that process and of that group. The open dialogue with local people is I feel vital for that progress to be made, for that reason I will continue even though I do find the level of cynicism and hard to take some times.
The comments from Piers Gough you refer to were made a couple of years ago and may have been taken out of context, knowing Piers I have to say that I do not think he is arrogant or elitist, but I must admit that his comment might give people that impression. He is totally committed to delivering an exemplarey development and a new quarter that will both fit in with the old town and bring uses and architecture that will enhance its beauty, viability and acessibility to all.
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