Why has work not started at Black Robin Farm?
By Rebecca Maer
Work on the £11.5 million Black Robin Farm cultural and education centre on the South Downs has been delayed by at least a year.
Development was due to start on the former dairy farm near Beachy Head last year but there is no sign of activity at the site.
Joe Hill, former director of Towner gallery, which will operate the centre, told us last summer there would be "spades in the ground" in the autumn.
Eastbourne Borough Council (EBC) is the project developer and has told us it anticipates work will start within the next six months, depending on contracts being finalised and some farming being relocated.
Rising costs and finalising public transport options for people to reach the site have contributed to the delay.
EBC has confirmed, in response to questions from the Eastbourne Reporter, that some project arrangements have taken longer than expected.
It said that it had reviewed costs "to ensure the scheme remains financially robust and deliverable in the current economic climate". The council told us: "The overall vision for the site remains unchanged."
EBC chief executive Rob Cottrill wrote to the South Downs National Park authority, the planning body for the project, in January noting that "rising construction costs have put pressure on an already challenging scheme".
One of the issues still to be resolved is public transport in a protected area.
Planning documents from February this year show that the council will contribute nearly £280,000 towards a bus service to take people to and from the site.
Brighton & Hove Buses told us they are working closely with local councils "to explore options" but no final decisions have been made.
What’s happened so far?
It is five years since the then-Conservative Government promised ‘Levelling Up’ money for the project. The plans are being developed by EBC and the site will be run by the Towner gallery. It will be known as Towner Seven Sisters.
Initial planning permission was granted in February 2024 by the South Downs National Park Authority and final permission, with a list of 49 conditions, went through in February this year.
Cllr Jim Murray, the EBC's Cabinet member for environmental issues, acknowledged last year that the £11.5 million would not stretch as far as it would have done in 2021.
He told a meeting of the Downland Forum last summer that it was then effectively worth around £8.5 million because of rising costs. Money has already been spent on various consultants for the planning process.
The site is in a secluded valley, barely visible from Beachy Head Road, on a 1,000-acre former dairy farm which comprises a farmhouse, milking parlour, cottages and barns.
How will people get there?
One of the main concerns has been how people will travel there. Initial estimates suggested 100,000 visitors a year but that has since been scaled back considerably, although no other figure has been made public.
The council, as the developer, will make a financial contribution of nearly £280,000 towards an expanded public bus service to the site. There will be only about 40 parking spaces.
Nick Hill, Brighton & Hove buses commercial director, told Eastbourne Reporter in a statement: "We have been working closely with local councils to explore options for enhancing public transport provision to serve the Black Robin Farm development.
"Discussions remain ongoing, and no final decisions have been made at this stage regarding the delivery of any improved services."
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The issue of transport to the site has been a sticking point, with protracted negotiations about how bus services can be integrated into the site, which is in an area of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).
Planning documents show that a bus stop and bus turning area off Beachy Head Road have been agreed as the "only workable way to deliver an acceptable level of public access to the development by sustainable means, whilst avoiding impacts upon SSSI land".
There will be limited on-site parking and the walk up from the town is strenuous. The Brighton and Hove Buses Coaster 13X service loops around Beachy Head and currently stops at the Black Robin Farm entrance but that is seasonal.
Planning documents from earlier this year show that the council will contribute £279,513 towards a bus service to the site.
What are the plans for the site?
Funding for Black Robin Farm was secured on the basis it was for a new project which would boost the local economy. Money could not be spent on existing projects, which ruled out sites such as the Redoubt fortress and the seafront bandstand.
The ambitious plans include:
- Studios for artists and makers in the farmhouse and neighbouring building
- An exhibition space on the site of an existing lambing barn, which will be dismantled for use elsewhere. This will be the only new building.
- Events and exhibitions in the existing large barn
- A learning studio and teaching kitchen around an existing farmyard which will be used for outdoor learning
- A visitor centre, refectory and heritage museum in an existing flint barn
- A community garden for growing food
- A sensory garden
- Chalk farmland restoration in the wider area
Towner last year received £550,000 from the National Lottery Heritage Fund which will help develop plans for the visitor and heritage centre in the old flint barns.
Planning documents show some aspects are still being considered relating to ecology and sustainable construction.
What does the national park authority say?
The South Downs National Park, which is the planning authority, told Eastbourne Reporter in a statement: "Once built, this new arts and educational hub will provide the public with extensive opportunities to connect with the culture, history, geography, ecology and land management practices of the South Downs.
"This is a sensitive site in a protected landscape and great care is being taken by all involved to ensure the development conserves and enhances the National Park.
"Following the February 2024 planning committee, when the application was considered by members, planning permission was granted to the applicants, Eastbourne Borough Council, in February of this year.
"Time was needed by the applicant to sort out an appropriate bus stop and access arrangements. The initial proposed bus stop was located in a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and a satisfactory alternative has now been found."
What did the council tell us?
Eastbourne Reporter’s questions and the Eastbourne Borough Council’s answers in full:
Q. Why has work not started? What is causing the delay?
A. Given the scale and complexity of the project, and its location within the South Downs National Park, progress to site commencement has taken longer than originally anticipated.
A key factor has been the statutory planning process, alongside the need to complete the Section 106 Agreement [measures to mitigate the impact of the development, such as public transport provision]. With these elements now concluded, the council has been focused on finalising the detailed project arrangements, including costs, contract terms, and delivery planning, to ensure the scheme can proceed on a robust basis.
Q. When is work going to start?
A. Following unanimous support from the council's cross-party Strategic Property Board, contract documentation is being finalised ahead of execution.
Before work can begin at Black Robin Farm, discussions relating to the relocation of the existing farming operation to Ringwood Farm also need to be concluded. Subject to these matters being resolved, the council is aiming to commence works at Black Robin Farm before the end of the 2026/27 financial year.
Q. Are the plans for the site still the same, bearing in mind the £11.5 million of Levelling Up money was awarded five years ago and costs are likely to have risen?
A. The overall vision for the site remains unchanged. As the project has developed, the council has reviewed costs and delivery arrangements to ensure the scheme remains financially robust and deliverable in the current economic climate.
The council continues to work with Towner and other partners to explore additional funding opportunities that will support the long-term delivery of the approved masterplan.
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