Local MP "apoplectic" at proposed sale of Newhaven station land

12.00.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Thu 20th Oct 2005

Newhaven MP, Norman Baker has written in strong terms to Mark Lambirth, the Director of Rail Strategy and Finance in the Department of Transport to urge him to reconsider the SRA decision to sell the land opposite Newhaven Town Station.

The sale is scheduled to go ahead at an auction on the 15th of December and has attracted widespread local opposition from local residents, East Sussex County Council and Lewes District Council. It follows the sale of the land used as a car park at Newhaven Town Station a few years ago, which only attracted a poor sale price of around only £15,000 yet has had a marked effect on the operation of the station.

There is presently no easy parking anywhere near the station and so plans were afoot to use the waste land immediately north of the station to rectify this. It is this parcel that is now proposed to be sold off. Despite receiving letters of objection from the local councils the SRA seem to be pushing ahead with the sale despite acknowledging the plans to reconfigure the railway arrangements in Newhaven.

Commenting on this Norman says:

"With the change of ownership in the port, the likelihood of planning applications for housing which will release some planning gain, the creation of a coordinated strategy from the local councils, and a willingness by Southern to see reconfiguration of rail arrangements at Newhaven, a real opportunity exists to rectify the foolish decision of the British Rail Residuary Body to sell the then car park.

"It is almost unbelievable that, having made such progress, the SRA should now wish to repeat the mistake of the then Residuary Body, which only raised around £15,000 and caused such a problem for rail passengers traveling from Newhaven.

"I shall also be tabling a parliamentary question to the Secretary of State for the Department of Transport on this matter and continue to hope that commonsense will prevail."