Phoenix set for £100m rebirth (From The Argus)

Phoenix set for £100m rebirth

1:20pm Wednesday 22nd February 2012 in News

An industrial estate could have a £100 million future.

The Phoenix Industrial Estate in Lewes could soon house shops, restaurants and homes.

The site has been bought by private developers The Santon Group for about £6 million after a bidding war ahead of several interested parties.

It bought the site in North Street, Lewes, from the administrators of previous owners Angel Property Ltd, which was dissolved in May last year.

The Santon Group has bought the site in partnership with South Africa-based MAS PLC.

MAS described the industrial estate on its website as an ideal opportunity to rejuvenate the area with retail, hospitality, commercial and residential components that could ultimately have a development value of approaching £100 million.

The statement also said that the annual rent for the site would total about £500,000.

The Phoenix site has been developed for more than 150 years and had previously hosted a wide range of industries, including the town’s old iron works, tanneries, car repairs, skip hire, tyre/exhaust units, engineering firms, galleries and various other manufacturing businesses.

The industrial unit is home to more than 30 units, although some have been vacant for more than a decade.

Initial discussions with local designers about the future of the site have also begun.

Lewes councillor and chairman of Lewes Community Land Trust John Stockdale said he was keen to speak with the site’s new owners.

The group led a five-year campaign against plans by previous owners Angel Property Ltd to develop the site, which included building a ten-storey tower.

Coun Stockdale said: “We’re hoping for a fine grain development with a mix of employment, residential, amenities and open spaces done gradually rather than as a single estate development.”

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