17 October 2008: Proposed move of County Hall

Media: PR1063

East Sussex County Council’s plans to move out of Lewes must be given a full cost appraisal before they go any further.

Lewes District Council Leader Ann De Vecchi said that the District Council had not been consulted by East Sussex County Council in advance of the announcement.  She also questioned why the consultants report on which the decision was based had not been made public when the matter was considered by the County Cabinet on 14 October.

Councillor De Vecchi said, “Rumours have circulated for years that the conservative administration at County Hall wanted to quit Lewes.  Apart from hearing occasional casual comments from senior conservatives we have not been consulted.  We have certainly not been involved in any evaluation of the proposed move.

If County Hall is serious about quitting Lewes we need a full economic evaluation of the effect on Lewes and whether the capital cost is justified.  I think a lot of people will question whether any anticipated benefits will repay the enormous capital costs.

We will challenge County Hall to produce a full economic appraisal of its proposals.  They appear to have concentrated on the benefits to the Wealden and Eastbourne area but have ignored the impact on Lewes.  That cannot be the right way to reach a decision of this magnitude.

Two years ago we shared with East Sussex County Council a study we had commissioned that concluded that the loss of the jobs at County Hall would have a severe negative impact on the town on Lewes.  I find it disappointing that they have not given more consideration to their responsibilities to the town and the need to consult with local people before reaching this decision. 

The County Council is not offering any guarantee that the alternative development on the County Hall site would meet the needs of the town.  There is a clear risk that the County Council will try to sell the site for maximum profit and Lewes would take a double hit with a serious economic loss of jobs and trade and a development that brings no benefit to the town”.

Liz Lacon, Communications Manager