Person sleeping rough in Newhaven is fly-tipped on

Lewes District Council will intervene after a person sleeping rough in Newhaven had items fly-tipped on their encampment.

According to Terri McDonald, director of the Essex Mews apartment building in Newhaven, the individual has been living by the car park on Lower Place since August.

Ms McDonald says the homeless person has accumulated a significant number of items, which other members of the public have subsequently fly-tipped on, not realising the person was inside the encampment.

The person has been there since August 2025 (Image: Supplied)

Ms McDonald expressed sympathy for the rough sleeper, and says she has tried to offer them help, but she also raised concerns about the impact on her residents at nearby Essex Mews.

"I​tems are in the road, it's dangerous," she said.

Ms McDonald believes that Lewes District Council should step in.

Eastbourne Borough Council recently deployed a multi-agency taskforce to clear out a homeless encampment outside Eastbourne railway station, and Ms McDonald believes a similar outcome in Newhaven would be sensible.

"I​t's gone beyond a joke now," she said. "Common sense should prevail."

The council said they are aware of the situation (Image: Supplied)

Lewes District Council said they are aware of the situation, and confirmed that they will be "co-ordinating a clearance" of the Newhaven site.

However, they also said that the person's welfare is their "primary focus".

A spokesperson for Lewes District Council said: "Our primary focus is the welfare of the individual who appears to be staying at this location.

"Our Neighbourhood First team and partners from the Rough Sleeping Initiative are engaging with them to offer support, including housing options and healthcare services.

"People living in these circumstances often have complex needs and it’s not uncommon for offers of support to be refused."

The council say they will be co-ordinating a clearance (Image: Supplied)

The spokesperson continued: "W​e also recognise the negative impact this site has on the community.

"Since it now contains fly-tipped material and is encroaching on the highway, we will be co-ordinating a clearance.

"We will work to ensure the area is cleaned while continuing to prioritise the safety and wellbeing of the person involved."