A home on the only piece of land in Lewes with planning permission to protect it from flooding has been sold.

The Coach House in Malling Deanery, Church Lane, is the only one of more than 600 properties in the town affected by floods which developers can demolish and rebuild.

The current Grade II listed building was almost destroyed after severe storms in October 2000 caused the nearby River Ouse to burst its banks.

Planning permission was granted by Lewes District Council in May 2002 to local award winning architects Mackellar Schwerdt to build a detached home.

This detailed consent, together with the existing site's landscaped three-quarter acre gardens, generated a huge amount of interest in the property and it was eventually sold for more than the guide price of £250,000.

Gregory Pickard, who handled the sale for estate agent Strutt & Parker, said: "The sale once again demonstrates the demand for development opportunities which are becoming an increasingly rare commodity."

Meanwhile, a Sussex house, once owned by Sixties singing sensations Tom Jones and Engelbert Humperdink, went on the market for £4 million.

Grade II listed Socknersh Manor in Etchingham, near Robertsbridge, dates from the 16th Century and has seven bedrooms and six bathrooms.

In the grounds there is a coach house used for private offices, a three-bedroom cottage, a tennis court, heated pool and lake.