The former Parker Pen factory has been transformed into 145 energy-efficient homes.
The renowned pen company opened in Newhaven in the 1940s and was an important employer in the area until it closed in 2009.
Sustainable homes have been built on the site, which also commemorates its history with art pieces.
Maria Caulfield, MP for Lewes, cut the ribbon to officially open the development which was finished in March and provides a mixture of flats and houses for affordable rent and shared ownership.
Jonathan Layzell, developer Stonewater’s chief growth and development officer, said: “Not only does this interesting site provide a significant number of much-needed new homes for local people in the area, it is also special for us in that we celebrated building Stonewater’s 5,000th new home since we formed in 2015, bringing us to a total of almost 1,500 homes in East Sussex.
“To see everyone coming together to celebrate the completion and success of the scheme on the former Parker Pen site made for a really special day and we’d especially like to thank MP Maria Caulfield for cutting the ribbon and Hazel Turner for opening their lovely home to visitors on the day.”
The homes in Railway Road used £4.4 million of funding from Homes England. Money-saving measures include high levels of insulation in houses and electric car charging points.
Maria Caulfield said: “I am delighted to have been asked to attend the official opening of Stonewater’s Safford Park development which will provide the local community of Lewes with 145 urgently required affordable homes.
"The scheme has offered a new lease of life for the former Parker Pen factory site while honouring the contribution that it made to the area’s economy in the past.
“The provision of high-quality affordable homes is now more important than ever as many people face challenging times due to the cost-of-living crisis while the energy-saving features built into the homes will also benefit residents financially for generations to come.”
Stonewater also said it is helping maintain a nearby nature reserve where it has planted more than 1,000 saplings.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel