Cycle Lewes Campaigns
Lewes Planning Group Update
The Lewes Planning Group (LPG), including Cycle Lewes, is preparing a ‘Masterplan’ (to be named the ‘Lewes Town Plan’) for Lewes with the aim of influencing planning and development in and around Lewes for the next 15 - 20 years. The LPG is working closely with the National Park and Town Council (and the County Council as best we can) in this endeavour.
The South Downs Local Plan includes proposals for building around 1,500 new homes. We believe that if this development is allowed to happen in the existing ‘business-as-usual’ way it will have an adverse impact on the town in a wide variety of ways.
Our Masterplan seeks to take a comprehensive and co-ordinated look at these opportunities and ensure that the development meets the expressed needs of the town (genuinely affordable housing, employment space, investment in active travel and public transport). The plan includes an integrated package of infrastructure improvements to address transport, water services, social facilities and other issues.
Why is this important for cyclists?
The streets (and footways) of Lewes are already dominated by cars and other motor vehicles. With 1,500 new homes planned the noise, pollution and congestion generated by these vehicles could get considerably worse. And that will make life even more difficult for cyclists. However, a co-ordinated approach to future development with sustainability at its heart presents an opportunity to create a town where walkers, wheelers, cyclists and public transport users are given greater priority. That is one of our aims.
The LPG has been meeting for a year now and has produced a first draft of a Masterplan, including a ‘movement strategy’ specifically on transport, following an extensive engagement process last October (see Cycle Lewes newsletter November 2025).
In the last few weeks we have taken a few significant steps:
Firstly, we have agreed to call the Masterplan the ‘Lewes Town Plan’ - given that it what it is, a plan for the town of Lewes. We think this will make more sense to the residents of the town.
We have produced a short note that seeks to explain the relationship between the South Downs Local Plan, the Lewes Neighbourhood Development Plan, and the Lewes Town Plan.
Secondly, we are currently re-drafting the document to more closely align with the interests of the Planning Inspector (who will review the South Downs Local Plan early next year and the Lewes Town Plan as part of that process) and future Mayor for Sussex (who will have access to resources that can be used to invest in development and infrastructure in the town).
Our aim is that the Lewes Town Plan becomes less of a document for the town and more of a document from the town. The Plan will detail what residents of Lewes say should be developed on key strategic sites and the infrastructure that needs to be provided to ensure such development makes for a better town.
The Lewes Planning Group believe this is a once in a generation opportunity to influence Lewes for the better. Please support us in our endeavours.
We are planning wider public engagement and consultation on the Lewes Town Plan in the autumn and details of this will be posted in future Cycle Lewes newsletters.
New Malling Path Coming Soon!
Good news! Construction will start shortly on a new all-weather path across Malling Recreation Ground for cyclists and walkers, linking the riverside path and Wiley's Bridge with routes into Malling and on to Ringmer.
The new shared-use surfaced path will be along the route of an often muddy "desire line" already used by cyclists, and also involves the widening of part of the existing surfaced path so that walkers and cyclists can safely share it. There will also be improvements to the signage in the area, clarifying which paths may be used by cyclists.
The project has been in the pipeline for several years; it was devised by Cycle Lewes working in collaboration with local councillors, with funding from a Community Interest Levy (CIL) grant from South Downs National Park Authority, Lewes Town Council, the SDNPA Community Pitch Fund, and generous donations from Cycle Lewes members.
Malling Rec. belongs to Lewes District Council, and the Council have agreed to take responsibility for the path’s construction using their expertise, and will be responsible for its maintenance.
Work on the path is expected to start on 1st June and to take up to four weeks.
Fix the Route!
A campaign to make the Lewes to Brighton stretch of the cycle route (C90) fit for purpose
Cycle Lewes and other like-minded organisations in Sussex, [1] are calling on National Highways to start taking public safety seriously. They want an urgent review of the state of Regional Cycle Route 90 from Brighton to Lewes, on the northern side of the A27, with a view to it being improved and properly maintained. They have launched a campaign ‘Fix the Route’ to highlight the issue and local MP James MacCleary, Liberal Democratic for Lewes is backing it.
“I have long been concerned about the safety of this vital [cycle]route along the A27 and the impact it has on local residents. National Highways must now take an urgent look at this stretch and produce a workable plan. With Parliament sitting again, I will be raising this with the Minister to push for real progress.”
The C90 forms part of an almost continuous near traffic-free route from Brighton seafront to Polegate and from there to Hailsham and Heathfield on the Cuckoo Trail. It is a heavily used cycle-commuter route, joining together the short distance between two major conurbations. En route it connects two universities, the Amex football stadium, Stanmer Park and the South Downs Way.
Between Brighton and Lewes the route is hard up against the 70mph carriageway over much of its length without any protection provided for people using it, making it unsafe and unpleasant. In stark contrast, work overseen by National Highways in May 2026 to alter the slip roads to the eastbound petrol station, where a new Greggs is to be built, has seen one lane of the A27 closed, a 40mph speed limit imposed, and huge barriers erected to protect workers.
The organisations also want the South Downs National Park Authority to learn lessons after it allowed the development to be approved without any real consideration of the cycle route, and for failing to challenge the inadequate transport assessment. While National Highways has secured some changes to the path, this has potentially wasted money as the path still doesn’t meet any recognisable, let alone modern-day, standards.
A cycle commuter crossing the petrol station slip road on the eastbound carriageway of the A27 which was realigned in May 2026. It would not have taken much thought and effort to redirect the path behind the petrol station and thus avoid these dangerous crossovers. Image credit: Sheila O Sullivan
Cycle commuters regularly use the C90 between Falmer and Lewes. Yet it has no buffering for cyclists and pedestrians against the 70mph dual carriageway. Lack of maintenance on the paved surface and vegetation encroachment increase dangers for users of C90. For cyclists approaching each other at night, it is particularly challenging for westbound users who are blinded by traffic headlamps lights. The glare, in turn, makes it almost impossible to make out oncoming cyclists. Image credit: Sheila O Sullivan
Claire Tester, Head of Strategic Planning for South Downs National Park, addressing the participants of the masterplanning workshop event facilitated by the Lewes Planning Group in October 2025. Cycle Lewes’ Steve Pearce (seen standing to the left of the screen) was one of the key organisers of the event.
The Lewes Planning Group
Cycle Lewes is a founder member and is playing a key role in the The Lewes Planning Group. Against the backdrop of the South Downs National Park’s update of its Local Plan, which was devoid of any holistic strategy for the town’s development over the coming decade, the group came together in 2025 with a stated purpose to prepare, review, maintain and help implement the delivery of a townwide masterplan for Lewes.
To consult the town on what should be included in the Draft Masterplan, the LPG held a major workshop at Lewes Town Hall on 22 October 2025. This was one of the largest civic planning events in Lewes for decades, with more than 60 representatives from across the town’s community as well as key policymakers from the town, county and national park.
To read a detailed update of the work of LPG and the emerging masterplanning effort, click on the following link:
Low Traffic Lewes
a) “Low Traffic Lewes Project - Progress Report February 2022”
In December 2020 Lewes Town Council agreed to support the Low Traffic Lewes Project led by Lewes Living Streets and Cycle Lewes.
It also agreed a grant of £5,400 to fund two studies to support the project and particularly objectives 1 and 3 below:
A survey of visitors to Lewes High Street and shopping area (and a similar survey of businesses) and:
A camera survey to ascertain the current volume of through-traffic on the High Street.
One of the key results from the residents' survey is that there is overwhelming support for more planning, seating and wider pavements as well as hop on hop off buses to get round the town.
Download the full progress report on the project so far here.
b) “Lewes Through Traffic Camera Survey results Feb 2022”
In order to have reliable statistics on the amount of motorised vehicles passing through the centre of Lewes, Lewes Living Streets & Cycle Lewes organised a camera survey of traffic passing East & West between Westgate to Phoenix Bridge.
Over 8,800 vehicles were captured entering the town over Phoenix Bridge on 16 November 2021.
Open the attached survey report for a break-down of the results.
c) Title: Low Traffic Lewes Project: Survey results Feb 2022
This survey of visitors, residents & businesses was carried out in February 2022 and it is hoped will provide compelling evidence on the need to change the layout & infrastructure on School Hill & the Upper High Street.
School Streets
Cycle Lewes & Lewes Living Streets monitor car use during drop off & pick up times for Priory School.
Mountfield Rd survey report - May 2022
A Cycling Strategy for Lewes
The Cycle Lewes Strategy was adopted at our AGM in October 2018 & remains a key policy document used in our lobbying and policy work.
The 30 page document followed extensive discussion and consultation. Its aim is to improve the possibility for all people whatever age and whatever the purpose of their journey to travel by bicycle. It aims to create better routes between neighbourhoods in Lewes, improve the experience of cycling including mitigation of the one-way system and the effect of motorised traffic, create safe cycle routes between Lewes and neighbourhood villages and improve commuting between Lewes and Falmer.
Linking the C90 national cycle route through Lewes
Cycle Lewes film about the proposed C90 cycle route through Lewes:
The C90 is the National Cycle Route which goes from Brighton, through Lewes towards Eastbourne. The Lewes Town section has never been formally agreed by East Sussex County Council, and this short film sets out why and how it needs to be done.
20mph Lewes
Work in progress
Old Malling Farm development proposal. Where are the cycle routes?
Old Malling Farm is situated off the Old Malling Way, and is a green field site with an application for the erection of up to 226 new dwellings.
Cycle Lewes submitted its official objection to this application earlier. The proposal is not fit for a sustainable future and needs to be challenged strongly. The design of this site needs to build-in cycling and walking as the first choice for short journeys. On June 10th 2021 the South Downs National Park Authority (SDNA) Planning Committee approved the application for outline planning permission subject to extensive conditions including 50% affordable housing, a commitment to zero carbon construction, electric vehicle charging points, a route for pedestrians and cyclists at the S-E corner of the site down into the former railway cutting to give convenient alternative access to the town centre.
Read Cycle Lewes’ Response here.
Phoenix Development proposals
Work in progress
Young Lewesians send Climate Change message on the need for better cycling facilities in the County Town
Encouraging young people to promote cycling as a way of combatting climate change. “Our Big Ask” is a message from Tom & Thomas, two pupils at Southover Primary School demanding better cycling facilities in the county town.