There’s much that we in Human Nature love about Lewes. It’s setting in the Downs, the incredible diversity in the architecture, the colourful vivacity of the place, and the rambunctious spirit of the townsfolk, past and present. It is not in any way surprising that lots of people want to live here and that many people who have grown up here want to stay or move back. It’s our job to help them.

We think there is not enough affordable housing in Lewes, too little for young people to do, the  economy needs a boost, the streets are too polluted and car-dominated and we have a chaotic strategy for car parking and a too modest one for cycling. Is Lewes really as sustainable as it needs to be?

We’re trying to craft a place with homes, facilities and supporting services that will encourage more communal and sociable living. This could include sharing facilities like laundries, kitchens, tool sheds, allotments, cars and workspace. The quality of our social experience in a place - our shared experience - is key to everyday quality of life and to sustainability.

We would like this neighbourhood to be full of places and spaces to hang out, have fun and do stuff. We are planning a community boat club, an arts and performance venue in the Foundry Gallery, family sports, music and dance studios in the old Soap Factory, a hotel, a nightclub, a bike hub and more.

Given the climate and biodiversity crisis, we plan to transform the Phoenix into a place that operates within the planet's limits by building in low impact material, adopting a zero waste policy, filling our community and commercial spaces with activity that supports this mission, offering cleaner transport, using renewable energy and providing greenery.

We want the Phoenix to be a wonderful ‘place’ that will address profound sustainability challenges whilst being a fantastic community to live in. But, it must also be an economically viable project that gets cracking where others have failed, in providing flood defences, homes, employment, community facilities and a world-class sustainability infrastructure.