Council plans to sell land in Newhaven for £1 (From The Argus)
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Council plans to sell land in Newhaven for £1
5:40pm Friday 23rd November 2012 in News By Anna Roberts, Crime reporter
A model of the proposed water park in Newhaven
Land valued at up to £100,000 and spanning 47 acres looks set to be sold to a private company for just £1.
East Sussex County Council plans to flog its old landfill site, currently used as open space and known as Riverside Park, off Lewes Road, Newhaven, to Round Table Entertainment Ltd for less than the price of a loaf of bread.
Round Table Entertainment Ltd wants to build what would become the largest indoor water park in the world on the site.
Nearby land including the Lewes Road Recreation Ground was already sold to the firm by Lewes District Council in June for £84,000.
Originally East Sussex County Council had planned to landscape the land using cash from Veolia, which runs the nearby Newhaven incinerator.
The council said the benefits that the water park was set to bring meant that it was possible for it to be sold at such a knockdown price, although the deal will not be formally agreed until a council meeting on November 27.
The council added the economic regeneration of Newhaven was “a priority” which justified the £1 price tag.
Water park
The papers read: “It is proposed that both sites will form part of a significant hotel and water park leisure development that is reported could create up to 650 new jobs and 300 further posts in the local area.
“Therefore, it is recommended that the council should also make its land available for redevelopment to ensure that this opportunity is not lost.”
The site was run as a landfill from 1963 to 1981, when it was covered with vegetation and stone paths were laid. A former household recycling site will also be sold.
Rupert Clubb, county council director of economy, transport and environment, said: “The opportunity to redevelop this land will help support the economic regeneration of Newhaven – something we all want to see.
"If our lead councillor agrees next week, we will enter into an agreement to sell the land to Round Table Entertainments Ltd.”
In a statement on its website, Round Table Entertainment Ltd said: “We believe that the project will have a transformational effect on a town which has not benefited from the economic prosperity which other areas have enjoyed.”
Round Table Entertainments Ltd had not responded to The Argus as it went to press. If the firm fails to go ahead with the scheme, the land will be returned to the council.
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Comments(10)
brighton-breezy
says...
7:46pm Fri 23 Nov 12
Tom V wrote:That was my first thought, but then at the end of the article it states that the land will be returned to the council if the project does not go ahead
This is a disgrace and rips off the public. The water park will never be built because the infrastructure isn't there to support it. The town jams up during rush hour with existing traffic and the swing bridge means everything grinds to a halt for around 40 minutes whenever it's raised.
Newhaven needs investment but this project is not viable and public land is being given away. My guess is that we'll see housing there within a few years. Someone's going to make a huge profit at the expense of locals.
I'll give the council £10 for the land and let locals carry on using it for free!
Sussex jim
says...
8:01pm Fri 23 Nov 12
Tom V
says...
8:07pm Fri 23 Nov 12
Nosfaratu
says...
8:26pm Fri 23 Nov 12
On_the_Level
says...
8:46pm Fri 23 Nov 12
qm
says...
11:53pm Fri 23 Nov 12
menowhere
says...
10:47am Sat 24 Nov 12
sbiscorrupt
says...
5:19pm Sat 24 Nov 12
brighton-breezy wrote:And incinerated pigs might still fly!
Tom V wrote:That was my first thought, but then at the end of the article it states that the land will be returned to the council if the project does not go ahead
This is a disgrace and rips off the public. The water park will never be built because the infrastructure isn't there to support it. The town jams up during rush hour with existing traffic and the swing bridge means everything grinds to a halt for around 40 minutes whenever it's raised.
Newhaven needs investment but this project is not viable and public land is being given away. My guess is that we'll see housing there within a few years. Someone's going to make a huge profit at the expense of locals.
I'll give the council £10 for the land and let locals carry on using it for free!
cvs
says...
5:51pm Sat 24 Nov 12
Tom V says...
6:25pm Fri 23 Nov 12
Newhaven needs investment but this project is not viable and public land is being given away. My guess is that we'll see housing there within a few years. Someone's going to make a huge profit at the expense of locals.
I'll give the council £10 for the land and let locals carry on using it for free!