Parks and Open Spaces
We own the site of the Priory of St Pancras (Lewes Priory) and, although we continue to assist in a number of small ways day-to-day we lease it to the Lewes Priory Trust who manage the land and the upstanding remains as both public parkland and an internationally-important historic site. For more information see www.lewespriory.org.uk
The Council is sole Trustee of the Town Brook Trust, which owns the Pells Recreation Ground and Pells Pool. We also own the lake and surrounding parkland in our own right. The swimming pool is managed on our behalf each year by the Pells Pool Community Association www.pellspool.org.uk , and between us we have several joint improvement projects in prospect – unfortunately delayed while the development of the nearby North Street Quarter is finalized.
We own the 43hectares (c110acres) of Downland known as Landport Bottom, which is managed under the national Environmental Stewardship Scheme. The land is managed as natural chalk downland, and grazed in season by sheep from nearby Plumpton College.
We own the Love Lane tree belt; a part of the recreation ground at Malling; and various small public areas and assets. Under the umbrella title of “open spaces” we also include public realm amenities like our 130 bench seats; 50 litter bins; 14 bus shelters and the CCTV cameras in Lewes which form part of Sussex Police’s county-wide network.