Key

1-12         Affordable rental cottages for Northiam residents.

13-23       Cottages available for rental to the wider public.

24             Small period shop and Tearoom - with accommodation over.

25             New period Village pub – with accommodation over.

26             Existing haybarn – Retained, with a new green oak weatherboard exterior and used for 

                  Equestrian deliveries.

27             Existing single kiln barn – New estate office.

28             Twin Bay cart lodge.

29             The Sussex barn – All goods in/outwards e.g., household shopping (Tesco / Waitrose) 

                  Laundry, deliveries for the shop, Tearoom and pub are stored here and delivered by horse

                 drawn transport throughout the site.

30            Medieval Sussex barn – Main reception area, offices and toilets.

31            Stabling for heavy horses – Five, 4m x 4m stalls, tack room and feed room.

32            Refuse and recycling barn – Bin collection point, containing six large wheeled bins with a 

                    120 bag capacity.

33            Parking – Eight residents bays and one staff bay.

34            Parking – Two residents bays, ten staff bays, ten wider public rental bays and six public bays.

35            Parking – Twenty-seven public bays.

36            Fullers Lane footpath – Access for Funeral vehicles.

37            Quiet reflection barn.

38            Wildings footpath – Leading to footpath access across the remaining 17 acres of the 

                 St. Francis fields estate.

39            The ‘Thatches’ Pond.

40            Tucked away solar panel area,

41            Cart shed / storage.

42            Village Pond.

What Can be Expected Upon Completion of Stage One

1, A new permanent village pub, positioned to catch the last of the evening sun at SFF.

2, The Central Hub / courtyard, from which the project is managed.

3, The two existing bungalows retained.

4, Six cottages created for rental:

• Two to be affordable rental cottages for the village (numbers 1 and 2).
• Four to be rented to the wider public (numbers 10, 13, 14 and 23).

No 10,13,14 and 23 bring in more income, to subsidise the affordable rental cottages). 

The rental income is detailed below:

Estimated Income from the Cottages:

Affordable Rental Cottages No 1 and 2

(100% occupancy assumed), let at £850 

per calendar month (PCM)                                                                                      Total per annum     £20,400

Rental Cottages to the wider public 

No 10, 13, 14 and 23, (60% occupancy rate assumed), 

Let at £1000 per week                                                                                              Total per annum    £124,800

Rental Income from the existing two bungalows 

No 11 and 12, (100% occupancy assumed)                                                          Total per annum     £16,800

                                                                                                                     Overall income per annum   £162,000

In addition to the above, the income from both the village pub and the equine facilities would need to be included.

No 10 on the site plan is an affordable rental cottage, but to increase the financial sustainability of the project at Stage 1, it has been given over for wider public use, then once financial sustainability is secured, it will revert to the affordable rental stock for the village.

5, Stabling for the project’s use. And potential livery for local residents.

6, Green Lane infrastructure throughout the site, allowing pedestrian access through the whole of SFF.

7, Planting of all woodland, wildflower meadows, orchards, creation of the central pond and wildlife ponds and the planting of hedgerows to define field boundaries, and exhibition fields. These measures will start to mark the start of increasing biodiversity throughout the site and give maturing structure to Stages 2 and 3. 

8, Five new larger stables for the project’s heavy horses, to include a feed room and a tack room.

9. Second area of stabling, (including barn and possible granary) - these stables could be ‘livery’ in the early days of the project, reverting to ‘in house’ use (if required) as Stages 2 and 3 come to life.

10.  Natural Burial area, situated in field 9 on the CIC Site Plan (subject to environmental reports), with the possibility of extending this when needed into fields 8 and 7 (managed wildflower meadow and cornfield – on TLEP’s Implementation Plan). This places the Natural burial area closer to St Mary’s Church than the current CIC plan, reducing the infrastructure access needed and associated costs, and opens up field 7 to provide a paddock for the adjacent stables and a further exhibition field.  

It is important to acknowledge, that during TLEP website vote, we received an email from an ‘award winning’ local funeral director, who specialises in natural burials. They were looking to add to their natural burial site choices, offering to help contribute towards infrastructure costs of the natural burial site, which is a point worthy of future discussion. 

Funding

To be read in conjunction with the ‘planning and funding’ section on TLEP website.  As you will see on the proposal website, there are many forms of funding available to apply for, (which in many cases usually start with an expression of interest (EOI) from a public body – such as a Parish Council), in order to help finance TLEP.  However, as the largest funder of heritage projects in the UK:

• The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), over the last thirty years has been fundamental in distributing approximately 20% of the money raised for good causes, by players of the National Lottery.
• Last year £1870 million was raised by the National Lottery for good causes of which £370 million went directly to the HLF.

“Heritage can be anything from the past that you value 

and want to pass on to future generations”.

(HLF Website)

The HLF has recently announced a new ten-year plan, which aims to invest in heritage for the future as well as the present.  The first 3-year delivery plan 2023-26 sets out how they plan to invest over £1 billion in heritage, based on the following investment principles, which will guide their decision making.

• Saving Heritage – conserving and valuing heritage, for now and the future.
• Protecting the Environment – supporting nature recovery and environmental sustainability.
• Inclusion, Access, and Participation – supporting greater inclusion, diversity, access and participation in heritage.
• Organisational Sustainability – stretching heritage to be adaptive and financially resilient, contributing to communities and economies.

This is in addition to a further commitment to form stronger relationships with Local Authorities and regulatory bodies.

The above four principals are also in addition to the Heritage lottery funds original set of nine outcomes which aid their decision-making process, you can see how TLEP fits these criteria in TLEP website funding section.

The four new requirements together with the existing nine outcomes for funding, I feel, puts the TLEP proposal in a favourable position with its commitment to providing, many social, economic, and environmental benefits to our community.

                                                 Attributes the Project can Bring to St Francis Fields and Village Life

• A community-based project, set up for the benefit and enjoyment of the whole community.
• With an estimated annual turn over in excess of £500,000 upon completion.
• The chance to ease the financial burden on Northiam residents, by generating enough income through the projects work to eventually service the repayments on the government back loan taken out to purchase the site.
• Provision of a new permanent Village pub.
• Integrating 12 affordable rental cottages (upon completion) for local residence and those with a strong connection to the village.
• Creating local employment and volunteering opportunities.
• Integrating 11 rest and relaxation cottages (upon completion), available to rent by the wider public, creating the main income stream for the project.
• Embracing environmentally friendly renewable technologies in the project, without impacting on the aesthetics of both the landscape and the buildings, e.g., ground source heat pumps with vertical collectors.
• A new natural burial site, close to St Mary’s Church
• Grants and donations for the local community and beyond, due to the project’s charitable status and social enterprise initiatives, e.g., help with contributing towards local school projects, crossing patrols, or Village Hall Trust etc.
• Maintaining the historic link with horses at the site, by including 5 new stables for the project’s heavy horses and a further 8 stables for either ‘inhouse benefit’ or livery.
• Provision of a small period combined shop and tearoom, the concession for which could quite conceivably be offered to local businesses first.
• Promotes a stress-free natural environment, which in turn helps to look after our mental and physical well-being.
• Establishing a beautiful and unique long-lasting legacy for Northiam and the surrounding area.
• Creating several exhibition fields of manageable size, worked in the traditional way, throughout the project, highlighting our relationship with the land prior to modern day tractors.
• Bridleway and footpath access throughout the whole site.
• Designed to give all properties, both on the site and existing around the site, views of open farmland, orchard, paddock, pasture, and wildflower meadow.
• Creating a site of possible national historic significance.
• Educational facility housed in one of the barns, near the ‘Thatches’ Pond.

                                                                                Biodiversity Gains

• Over 1500 linear metres of newly planted hedgerows.
• Over 1000 square metres of new woodland.
• 2100 square metres of new orchards (in addition to the existing community orchard).
• 150 new semi-mature native trees.
• The supplementary planting of trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants in the project’s cottage gardens.
• Field margins created around the exhibition fields to maintain overwintering for insects, mammals, and birds.
• The introduction of bee colonies.
• A safe environment for mammals, including an array of hedgehogs.
• Three new wildlife ponds.
• The Village Pond covers 340 square metres.
• The ‘Thatches’ Pond covers 70 square metres.
• The pond adjacent to the pub covers 30 square metres.
• 90 linear metres of stream.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      Support for the Proposal  

The Lost England Project web vote was carried out between the 26th February and 19th March 2023, in order to obtain some idea of how people felt about the possibility of the project as a way forward for the future of SFF.  It was not widely advertised, just posted on a couple of local social media sites, but it was open to all and in order to validate the results of the poll, voters were requested to leave their names and addresses and were also given the opportunity to comment on the proposal.

                                                               Results of the Website Vote.

                                            Total Number of Votes Cast  204

                                                               Number of Votes                          Percentage

           IN FAVOUR                                           146                                                77%

           OBJECTIONS                                          44                                                23%

           DOUBLE/SPOILT VOTES                     14                                    NOT COUNTED

                                                                        Northiam Residents 

                                             Number of Votes                            Percentage

           IN FAVOUR                                           100                                                 71%

           OBJECTIONS                                          41                                                 29%

                                                                               External Votes 

                                             Number of Votes                              Percentage 

           IN FAVOUR                                             46                                                 94% 

           OBJECTIONS                                            3                                                   6%  

                                                                  A Small Selection of Supporting Comments

‘A wonderfully imaginative and detailed proposal which, if brought to completion, could easily transform the village, and bring it to the attention of the public with very positive results for all concerned. It deserves to be supported vigorously by all residents as a statement of the affection felt by today's villagers for their environment and as a tangible example of what can be achieved when people eschew personal bias and join together for the good of their community.’

‘Northiam is a beautiful village that has rested on its laurels for some time. As a result, it is in danger of being 'forgotten' and, in turn, is in danger of deteriorating into a shadow of its traditional glory. Proposals like this should be celebrated and embraced. What we have here is an opportunity to breathe new life into the village whilst maintaining its natural and traditional beauty. Visitors to the steam railway, the boating station and Great Dixter House will now also want to spend time in the village which will generate revenue for the parish. As opposed to Northiam just being a pass through. I, for one, am in favour.’

‘I fully support this initiative and am grateful to everyone for their work on this visionary project. Careful consideration has been given to ensure that community needs are met in a sensitive way, offering opportunities for all villagers and beyond.

’

‘Great concept, let’s make sure it gets implemented.’ 

‘I grew up in the village, and now I rent in the village. I work in the village, and I have children that attend the local primary. I cannot afford to buy in the village, and I earn too much to qualify for the affordable rent via the council (housing association). If these properties were open to direct applications from local people and families at an affordable rate, I would be first to apply. We want our village to thrive, many younger families love it here and we don’t want to leave but we are being forced out and it’s not fair. I think these plans are awesome!’ 

                                                                           Support from the Comport Family 

In addition to the selection of supporting comments above and as a result of the web site vote, we had the wonderful news that Mr Richard Comport who lives in Kent is lending his support to The Lost England Project Proposal.

Richard is a direct descendant of Miss Kitty Comport who left much of the land at St. Francis fields to Our Dumb Friends League, (which eventually became the Blue Cross rehoming Charity).

                                                                                                 Support from Sussex Greenways

Sussex Greenways is a local organisation based in Beckley, that have a number of ongoing projects around East Sussex. They are an excellent non-profit making group whose overall vision is for a rural non-motorised network linking traffic free Greenways with Quiet Lanes to provide more opportunities for active travel, improve the quality of life in local communities, boost green tourism, and promote low-carbon transport. 

Due to the ‘open’ nature of the Green Lanes and footpaths around the project, which are capable of promoting active travel, Sussex Greenways are supporting the Lost England Project Proposal. http://sussexgreenways.org

                                                                                               Conclusion

In offering the Lost England Project to Northiam Parish Council, it is in the hope that with a positive forward-thinking attitude from all involved, the proposal could be offered as a credible prospect for the future of St Francis Fields, through a Village consultation.

I have gone as far as I can possibly go with the project and have reached the limit of what I can achieve as an individual, with any further investigation, such as funding expressions of interest having to come from a public body – such as a parish council.

This is very much now about the ability to try…. Socially, environmentally, and economically the proposal ticks many boxes and due to its unique nature, it comes with built in resilience. It therefore has the ability to be a positive driver for change within the village.

I came across this quote the other day:

‘Negativity is the common condition, 

But positivity has the ability to be far more infectious!’ 

So, the proposal is now yours, to embrace or ignore, to try to implement or pay lip service to.

It is by no means the path of least resistance, but then anything that is worth doing and can give positive long-lasting results very rarely is.

         Excerpt from an Email to NPC - 13th January 2024 (with attached Appendix A)

'In offering the proposal to NPC it is very much done in good faith. Council is now in receipt of two well-supported proposals from the CIC and TLEP, both of which provide a path forward for St. Francis Fields.

Could I then, respectfully request that Council consider forwarding both proposals for Village consultation, with a view to offering the Village a referendum in the not-to-distant future?

This provides the clearest of mandated paths forward, in which the voices of everyone in the village would have been heard, and then a consolidated route of progress can be followed by all concerned'.

It is in everyone’s interest within the village to be open and transparent, therefore this letter will be published in full on the Lost England Project website http://thelostenglandproject.co.uk and associated outlets. I hope this meets with your approval and I also very much hope that the recent appointments of the new Directors of the Community Interest Company can bring a new affable, amiable, and transparent relationship between the village and St Francis Fields.

I will forward the results and comments from the web vote separately to the Clerk. 

If I can be of any further assistance, please do not hesitate to ask.

With the kindest of regards

Jason Foster