The Co-op is to sell its site at the Meridian Centre in Peacehaven to a developer which is expected to build a new town centre.
Peacehaven and Telscombe Neighbourhood Development Plan Steering Group said: “The Co-operative Group, who owns most of the land within the Meridian area site, plan to sell their interest and build a new store with a funeral directors somewhere on the site.
“The Co-operative Group is in advanced negotiations with a development company who will build a new town centre for Peacehaven.”
Cathy Gallagher, who chairs the Peacehaven and Telscombe Neighbourhood Development Plan Steering Group, said: “We are busy working with Aecom, the town planners working on this project, to produce concepts and ideas to give Peacehaven a new town centre.
“What we need now is for the community to tell us how you want Peacehaven to develop.
“We will soon be launching a public survey asking for your thoughts so please complete that when you see it.”
The steering group added: “There will be opportunities throughout the summer for you to view the plans with conceptual ideas and to put forward your own ideas.”
Already residents have raised concerns at preliminary meetings about the A259 coast road and the lack of local infrastructure.
Any store other than the Co OP! Bottom of the table for price, service, range of products and more, year in year out. This town needs a modern 21st Century supermarket.
What is a “21st Century supermarket”? The century is already a fifth over and times is speeding up. Few of us will see a 22md-century supermarket. Meanwhile, I went in that “Meridian” mall last year: bleak, with many of the shops closed down. The best part of Peacehacen is the walk along the road beside the cliffs, with a series of interesting houses to look at (as well as the sea).
Does it matter what we say it will be more houses more flats and the hideous co op will still have it claws in Peacehaven to continue the race to the bottom.
The proposal definately says a Co-Op unfortunately, also more residential housing/flats
Stop building more houses/flats therefore adding more traffic to the coast road. Not enough Dr’s surgeries to cope with more people. More vehicles, more pollution. The new Co-op is not the best choice for peacehaven. Any other supermarket would be better, certainly for price. Aldi would be a good choice or even Iceland.
It will be more houses and flats … less shops and parking places.
we could do with an Iceland, a B&M bargains Aldi or Lydl, Poundland, probably won’t get any of these
Before all this gets done, how about upgrading the A259 so it can cope with all the construction traffic? How are all the materials needed for this magical wonderland of a development to get to the site? Without an upgrade, the road will fall into the sea, either near the Tye or at the bend into Newhaven, and then the whole area will be cut off. Why is there never any joined up thinking?
‘New Town Centre’ – To have what in it exactly?
A new Co-Op, a library, a coffee shop and that’s about it.
High Street’s up and down the country are dying in towns where the population cannot/will not support the shops already there.
Businesses will only invest where there is sufficient custom and a population of 16/17,000 is insufficient when Brighton is so easily reachable.
The reality of the 21st century is that more an more people are either shopping online or travelling to much larger towns. I know it’s pessimistic but I’m afraid the era of a High Street in every town is over.
At the moment the best part of the meridian is when you walk out to your car l really hope they will have a good cafe where like now local residents can meet we shall just have to wait and see is it bye bye yo the council offices
A proper ‘town centre’ for Peacehaven and Telscombe could even have potential for reducing coast road traffic if it included many of the things you currently need to leave Peacehaven for ;
i.e. a good range of shops, attractive outdoor seating areas, leisure and evening activities, choice of restaurants, bars, takeaways etc.all in one closely integrated location. If it was well designed it could be attractive enough to become a desirable destination.
Maybe the problem would then be from traffic driving TO Peacehaven for all it’s attractions!
But surely that would be better problem to have than people having to drive out of Peacehaven in order to find anything worthwhile to do, or to have decent shopping choice.
Let’s have some forward thinking about the peacehaven demographic – what about some more facilities for the young who have nowhere to go. Cafes, bars and a lively and more inclusive community centre offering more services for young mums and older people. Any larger shops such as Aldi/Lidl just means more traffic from outside Peacehaven and more congestion at peak times. The world is changing and I hope these stores will soon start to deliver. Let’s go back to more of a community ethos.
It needs shops that cater for a younger age group.
You can’t even buy decent clothes unless you travel.
It needs to be a mini Arndale centre like in Eastbourne.
What we will get is 300 flats and a smaller co-op.
Schools in the area are full,do tors ,dentists all full.
Where are all these residents going to go?
Infrastructure needs doing first
Great idea it needs livining up its so depressing now with shops closed bm bargines wilco etc cheaper shops for families on low budgets.
Whatever happened to the idea of linking Peacehaven with the A27???
We are so intent on increasing our town with houses and now a shopping centre but again NO road improvements for anyone to get in or out !!!!!!!
I think we’ve all known for a while that the Co-op were going to sell the land for housing and have a new, smaller shop of their own, including their own funeral directors. As for a ‘new town centre’ you only have to look at Newhaven to know that’s never going to happen. Housing and two shops. That’s what you’ll get. R.I.P. Meridian centre.
Just open the bus lanes between 7-9am and 4-6pm Monday to Friday, and fix the main crossroads at both Telscombe and Rottingdean. That’s it,sorted. Or, add an additional lane between Peacehaven and Brightob,so we would have 4, instead of the current 2/3 lanes. Also, stop allowing people park on the main roads.
Alternatively, install railways to link Peacehaven to Brighton, Lewes, Newhaven, Seaford and Eastbourne but guess that would take forever.
It would t be massive looking at the area space, so I dont think hoards will be coming to Peacehaven
but brilliant for us residents of Peacehaven
I’m all for it so long as it really is going to be a shopping centre but as stated we can see the plans beforehand.
“with a funeral directors somewhere on the site”
That’ll certainly liven the place up …
Those responsible for planning will do whatever they see fit if their past track record is anything to go on. 450 reasons to be doubtful about trustworthiness. We do not need any more houses.
I have lived in peacehaven for 60 years and the place was much better then with decent private shops until that monstrosity called the meridian was built ,but the coop done their usual and ruined everthing
Coop and the current meridian centre is a dinosaur, it’s not pleasant, not modern and is pretty hideous in terms of architecture.
I suspect that a smaller format coop will replace what is there now, alongside the other facilities such as a stand alone community centre, whatever is built will almost certainly be an improvement.
I agree there will be several houses and flats on the site but how else would this be funded.
To answer comments previously made about doctors and infrastructure
This is the councils opportunity to push for improvement under a 106 agreement,
Based on the numbers of dwellings agreed they could well get a new surgery and some traffic improvements.
Everyone needs to live somewhere.
I am fearful they’re cut down and destroy all the trees and page over it with concrete. If you stand outside the southern entrance and listen and watch your hear birds chirping squirrels running around and at night time fox’s, badgers, hedgehogs, what’s left of their limited environment will be turned into houses. It’s a shame: can’t you keep the trees and build around the pathways and existing bushes etc. So many new houses being built in Peacehaven, the traffic to work in the mornings is horrendous. They need to open up the bus lane from 6am to 8am and reinstall the roundabouts at Texaco by wimpy and at the bottom of longridge in Saltdean. Why have thousands of cars sitting in a line Monday to Friday every morning when all the traffic could instead flow, constantly. Causing mega delays and environment damage just to force people to ride a bus. Fix it
When you say the town planners , do any of these people live in Peacehaven ? Do they know what the people of Peacehaven want and need, do they understand that Peacehaven have watched the co-op single handedly destroy the centre of Peacehaven , Many years ago the co-op used to be for the working man/woman , but they should be ashamed of themselves now , as for now they are just greedy . All the Peacehaven people want is some nice food and clothes shops a nice cafe or two , just somewhere for people to meet and chat , is it that much to ask for . We have a co-op in Peacehaven now , an express , that will do . Co-op go away and leave Peacehaven alone
Peacehaven Meridian Town Centre and Community Centre.
It does not need destroying just to be more houses and flats!
It was built as the Heart of Peacehaven, a New Town Centre the Hub of the Community.
It is a pleasant building and was well constructed in the 1970s.
What it needs is a New Supermarket to go with our Town Centre and Community Hall.
The existing centre needs restoring to its original self with a return of more shops!
When it first opened it was an excellent shopping centre.
The Town Hall and Community Centre:
Many activities go on in this Centre and are well supported by the community.
Since the New Town Centre has been built the population of Peacehaven has doubled!
Peacehaven now requires a good new Supermarket!
The Peacehaven Health Centre cannot cope with the increase in population!
It should be in a new building sharing a car park with an improved Supermarket
The Centre has been badly run down by the Co-op, rusty trolleys with poor maintenance of the buildings and grounds.
It has obviously been run down to sell for a profit!
The people of Peacehaven have been badly let down by the Co-op.
The Cooperative Society advertises itself as being for the community! Not in this case!
The CO-OP: In selling off our Town Centre it is destroying our community!
The Cooperative Society should be ashamed of itself!!
The Meridian New Town Centre was built for the residents of Peacehaven a much-needed New Town Centre!
Not just for the CO-OP to sell off! And destroy it
Peacehaven has become the dumping ground for new houses, IT CANNOT COPE!
Over-building of this site will destroy our environment even more.
The A259 South Coast Road is gridlocked for much of the day causing residents to feel trapped with no northerly route out of the area
MORE VEHICLES on the A259! Going somewhere else for shopping means:
MORE GRIDLOCK, MORE POLLUTION and MORE GLOBAL WARMING
An M&S food store, or a ‘Little Waitrose’ would be great, a new shopping mall with top brand shops inside – Next, Boots, Lakeland, WHSmith etc….and do I dare say – MacDonalds