Lewes District Council

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District Services
Lewes District Council
Southover House
Southover Road
Lewes
East Sussex
BN7 1AB

Tel: 01273 484999
customer.services
@lewes.gov.uk
Minicom 01273 484488

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Reasons to Do Business

Lewes Town Street SceneThe South East region contributes more to the UK economy than any region outside of London (£195bn or 15.5% of the total Gross Value Added). Source: ONS 2009.

An economic powerhouse, the economy of the South East is larger than that of Austria, Denmark, Norway, South Africa, Greece, Finland and Singapore.  Home to over 400,000 businesses, a high business survival rate (82.7% beyond two years) and a workforce qualified to levels above the national average, it is easy to see why the South East region is a great place to start or grow your business.

Sitting within the South East, with an enviable location between the coast and London, the Lewes District is a big contributor to the strengths of the region.  Trading from five main towns, Newhaven, Peacehaven, Telscombe, Seaford and Lewes, the district encompasses a diverse blend of retail centres, industrial estates, manufacturing locations and independent work spaces.  Not only this, the district also has a large and vibrant rural economy.

1. Highly skilled labour pool

With two top class universities on its doorstep and one of the highest graduate retention rates in the country, the Lewes District is ideally placed to tap in to a vast pool of skilled labour.  Almost one third of the graduates from The University of Brighton and the University of Sussex remain in the area, which in real terms means an addition of 2300 skilled people to the labour force every year.  For further information on graduate retention see full report from the University of Sussex.

The Lewes District, particularly Lewes Town is also a hub for those possessing higher education qualifications skills, with 32% of people living in the district educated to degree level compared to 22% in the South East and 20% nationally.

The Sussex Downs College also contributes to the supply of educated and trained employees to the district, with 6000 students currently enrolled.  Not only this, they offer a very strong programme of employer training in industries such as Construction, Engineering and Utilities, Retail and Distribution and Health and Social Care. 

2. Lifestyle

55.6% of the Lewes District lies within the beautiful and enchanting South Downs National Park.  It is this beauty and undoubtedly the quality of life that help attract and retain skilled individuals to the area.  In addition to the South Downs, there are charming rural villages and miles and miles of coastline to explore.

The climate of the South East is another factor contributing to the quality of life in this wonderful district.  Met Office statistics show the south east and south central region to be the warmest, driest and sunniest place to live in England. 

3. Strong local partnerships

Lewes District Council enjoys a strong and collaborative relationship with a number of agencies both representing and supporting businesses, including the Lewes / Newhaven / Peacehaven and Seaford Chambers of Commerce and the Federation of Small Businesses.  LDC also supports the activities of Locate East Sussex, an organisation providing free investor advice, facilitating development opportunities and guiding businesses to the most appropriate accommodation available county wide. 

Lewes District Council is also officially affiliated to the Kent, Greater Essex and East Sussex Local Enterprise Partnership, the largest in the country which ensures our region is the test bed for a plethora of new economic development policies and initiatives.

4. Excellent infrastructure links:

Lewes District is excellently connected by road, rail, air and sea. 

Road: The Lewes District enjoys direct connections to the major motorway network.  Journey time from London to the heart of the district is just 90 minutes. 

Rail: Frequent direct services into London Victoria connect the district to the nation’s capital.  London can be reached from Lewes Town in an hour.  Other destinations easily accessible by rail include Brighton, Eastbourne, Gatwick and Ashford International (a Eurostar station) providing rail links into mainland Europe.

Air:  Gatwick, the second largest airport in the UK is within 40 minutes by road or rail from the heart of the district.  Access to Gatwick provides access to 90 carriers flying to over 200 international destinations.  Shoreham by Sea (less than 20 miles from the heart of the district) is a wonderful art deco styled airport that operates a number of domestic flights as well as journeys to France. 

Sea:  Newhaven, the district’s port town is the easiest and closest link to France via Dieppe.  LD Lines and sister company Transmanche Ferries operate two return services daily.  Newhaven Port is not only a vital tourism gateway but is also a working port and a key international trade route into and from Europe and beyond.