Response from East Sussex County Council to the occupation of St Anne's, Lewes

29 June 2011

Dear Ms Pepper

Thank you for your email to Becky Shaw, Chief Executive. She has asked me to respond.

As you know, we are committed to work with the local community to identify interim uses for St Anne's old school site; indeed I have given my personal assurance publically,and repeatedly, on this point.

Furthermore, I have written to local community groups for their views on which local organisations should be invited to an open public meeting to discuss ideas as well as seeking any initial ideas they themselves may have. The County Council is keen to progress this and we are ready for a public meeting within seven days of you vacating the site. I urge you to leave, and end the illegal occupation, in line with the decision of the court as soon as possible. The sooner that happens, the sooner we can progress the discussions with the local community. Your continued occupation is holding up what can be a real opportunity to put the site to some imaginative interim uses.

There are very real health and safety concerns over asbestos in the building and over the safety of the site. As you have said, you have built defences including tree houses, tunnels and compost barricades, and these now represent additional hazards. If we are forced to evict because of your choice not to vacate, you and the other protestors will have caused

significant cost falling on all of us as council tax payers and a waste of precious resources that otherwise would have been devoted to vital services.

Mediation is completely inappropriate as the case has already been considered by the court, which has considered all the relevant arguments and decided in our favour and an eviction order is in place.

Once again, I urge you to leave the site so that we can work with the whole community to put the site to some interim community uses.

Yours sincerely

Sean Nolan

Director of Corporate Resources