31 May 2006 - Caroline Lucas, Green Euro-MP visited the Phoenix area in Lewes today amid rising concerns that riverside land may be given over to a huge residential development losing valuable light industrial employment space.

Meeting Tub Collins, Director of Phoenix-based Furniture Now! whose business would be forced to relocate if the project goes ahead, she said:

"To consider building 800 houses on the banks of a river known for flooding beggars belief. In the 2000 flood this area was ten feet under. To proceed with these plans would be madness.

"Moreover, the town needs light industrial employment space - too many workshops are being squeezed out of town centres across the South East to make way for profitable retail and housing developments. If we create more jobs in the centre of Lewes then we are reducing the need to travel to work. If the present buildings need replacing then I’d like to see new plans coming forward.

"We need to build sustainable businesses, and Furniture Now! is delivering important services in recycling furniture, collecting recyclables and providing training in furniture restoration to people with enduring mental health problems.

"That is the kind of example of sustainable development providing a valuable social service that we need to follow."

Tub Collins added:

"I’m worried that if this housing development goes ahead Furniture Now! will have to move away from Lewes as there’s nowhere else suitable in town I can think of.

"We’re very proud of delivering a much-needed and popular service. In 2004 alone nearly six thousand people used us, and we collected 824 tonnes of recyclables from kerb sides across town."

ENDS