The consortium of the Greenbank Trust, Active Lewes and Youth Hostel Association, has been awarded a £100,000 grant from the Council's Rural Regeneration Fund. The Council has also secured a further £85,000 from other sources to help fund the work at Itford Farm on the A26 between Beddingham and Newhaven.
The ambitious project will see the conversion of the derelict Farmhouse – a Listed Grade 2* building, ancillary barns and outbuildings into this locally important facility.
Now that the Heritage Lottery Fund has formally approved its substantial grant of £804,000, the complex funding package for this scheme is complete and the project can proceed. Together, the funds mean that the farmhouse will avoid being placed on English Heritage's Buildings at Risk register, and instead become part of an exciting resource for walkers, visitors and school parties.
Building work at Itford Farm, which is situated in the Lower Ouse Valley where the South Downs Way crosses the River Ouse, close to Southease Station, will be phased from the New Year and is expected to finish in mid 2008. The continued support by East Sussex County Council over a number of years and its financial commitment to this scheme has helped to secure significant funding from other partners and the total project will be worth some £2.2 million.
In addition to providing funding for the project, the County Council also worked closely with the Highways Agency in the provision of a bridleway bridge across the A26 at Itford Farm, which was formally opened in August. As a result, it is now easily and safely accessible for the many walkers, cyclists and horse riders that enjoy the designated Sussex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
Cllr Matthew Lock, the County Council's Lead Cabinet Member for Transport and Environment, said: "Officers in the Transport & Environment Department have worked hard by continuing to support this project and by pulling parties together to make it viable. In particular, they ensured there was a sense of community leadership and used their wide range of contacts to attract funding.
"Together with the new bridleway bridge, we believe that this project will make a significant contribution to encouraging an increase in the use of the South Downs Way and enjoyment of the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty."
Cllr Simon Kirby, Lead Cabinet Member for Economic Development Projects, said: "This project is a wonderful example of partnership working which will provide widespread economic benefits to rural Lewes District. It will provide a boost to tourism, benefiting local pubs, restaurants, and shops and will also secure a future for a richly historical building."
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For more information, please ring Mike Taggart on 01273 482155.
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