Photo caption: Lord-Lieutenant of East Sussex visits Newhaven. From left – Boutique Modern managing director Dick Shone, Vice Lord-Lieutenant of East Sussex DL and chairman of Newhaven Enterprise Zone (NEZ) Graham Peters, Lord-Lieutenant of East Sussex Andrew Blackman and NEZ programme manager Michelle Connors.
The Lord-Lieutenant of East Sussex Andrew Blackman visited Newhaven for a special tour in September to learn more about the town’s role as a centre for growth in the county.
The visit highlighted regeneration activity in Newhaven and some of the innovative businesses and cultural projects shaping its future.
It was hosted by Vice Lord-Lieutenant of East Sussex and chairman of Newhaven Enterprise Zone (NEZ) Graham Peters, NEZ programme manager Michelle Connors and attended by deputy chief executive of Lewes and Eastbourne councils Ian Fitzpatrick.
The itinerary included trips to leading modular housing manufacturer Boutique Modern, long-established fine art print and framing company King & McGaw and BN9 Studio at the Marine Workshops.
The Lord-Lieutenant heard about Creative Newhaven’s initiatives to support the town’s growing arts scene and viewed works on display from local students and the Emerging Sussex young artist’s exhibition.
Over lunch at Mamoosh Riverside, Captain Dave Collins-Williams from Newhaven Port highlighted projects to improve the port’s infrastructure and grow the marine industry in the town, including a new 50m fish landing stage.
The visit concluded with John Simcock, owner of award-winning sea safari and boat excursion company Sussex Boat Trips, to talk about opportunities to grow the visitor economy.
Lord-Lieutenant of East Sussex Andrew Blackman said: “It has been inspiring to see first-hand the breadth of innovation and creativity happening in Newhaven. There’s so much positive change which will benefit the regional economy and the community, from investments to support the marine industry, to the development of exciting cultural events.
“The town is clearly on a path of transformation, which is important not just locally but for East Sussex as a whole.”
Vice Lord-Lieutenant of East Sussex DL and chairman of Newhaven Enterprise Zone (NEZ) Graham Peters added: “It was a great pleasure to show Andrew Blackman some of the exciting work that is going on in Newhaven.
“It's been an enormous privilege to be associated with Newhaven and its Enterprise Zone for the last six years and to watch the positive changes our interventions have initiated.
“Working with local government reorganisation and the combined Mayoral Authority, the Enterprise Zone will carry on funding regeneration in Newhaven for a long time to come.”
NEZ programme manager Michelle Connors said: “We were delighted to welcome the Lord-Lieutenant to Newhaven and showcase some of the businesses and organisations that are thriving here.
“The Enterprise Zone is playing a key role in creating new opportunities and providing funding support for businesses. We were proud to demonstrate how investment, creativity and ambition are coming together to drive growth.”
As well as its Town Centre Revitalisation Fund, which is supporting businesses in central Newhaven to transform their shopfronts and improve the high street, NEZ has funding schemes available to businesses to revamp their premises, reduce carbon footprint and deliver economic growth and regeneration projects.
To find out more about the NEZ funding schemes, please visit: www.newhavenenterprisezone.com.