Office to rent in Lewes

Lewes Forum thread

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Bus Station Question

On 6 Sep 2008 at 3:21pm Weary legs wrote:

Does anyone one know how the bus station came to be sold in the first place without their being a replacement, or requirement to run it as a bus station?
I wondered who sold it to the person who sold it to Rees Elliott, and why there was nothing put in place to ensure that even if it was sold, we would have somewhere for buses in lewes
Or is it that Rees Elliott is just playing silly buggers. EG it is technically still a bus station, but no one can afford his prices, and he then after some time he intends to say it should be built on because no one wants to use it.

On 6 Sep 2008 at 9:11pm Annette Curtin-Twitcher wrote:

I believe it was owned by one of the bus companies (I think it was Brighton and Hove buses, but I can't be certain) and there was no obligation on them to hang on to it. The directors obviously preferred the cash injection they got from selling it.
Another victim of the deregulation of our public transport network, I'm afraid.

On 7 Sep 2008 at 7:16am psv wrote:

the bus station was once owned by stagecoach

On 7 Sep 2008 at 9:47am Old Git. wrote:

I think it would be a super spot to put a caravanette park for all the lovely traveling hippies and the other traveling types. They grace the streets of Lewes with such finesse. I love to see their happy smiling faces, children well kept, tin in hand, not forgetting the obligatory pup on a string. Bless them, bless.

On 7 Sep 2008 at 11:39am SHS wrote:

Strange that in a so-called developed western country there is no obligation to provide public transport and associated infrastructure at a price affordable by all and a with a frequency and network sufficient to ensure widespread use. I blame the govt. Vote SHS for PM.

On 7 Sep 2008 at 12:08pm prufrock wrote:

The Local Plan requires the owner of the bus station site to provide suitable bus facilities (not necessarily a full bus station). Rees Elliott knew this when they bought it but, I think, hoped to wriggle out of it (you may remember martin Elliott saying that Lewes had no need of a bus station - everyone could drive a large black Range Rover like him) As it happens they have been told there is no prospect of planning permission without them prividing the facility on the site or nearby. I am told he is stuck hence, after 2 years, his thinking of allowing Brighton & Hove Buses on the site again without them paying the 20,000 ransom. I think 'silly bugger' is the term.

On 7 Sep 2008 at 5:00pm Weary legs wrote:

That makes sense. There were some interesting notices placed on the railings outside Norman Bakers office.
Sounds like the economic downturn has drilled some sense into Mesrs Rees/Elliot, even if they have no integrity.