Who decides window planning in Lewes and the villages
Lewes is inside the South Downs National Park, so the planning authority for the town is the South Downs National Park Authority, not the district council. Since 1 April 2026 the Authority has handled every application in the town with its own team.
What changed in April 2026
For years the Authority had Lewes District Council assess most smaller applications inside the Park on its behalf. That contract ended on 31 March 2026. From 1 April 2026 all planning services for the parts of the Lewes and Eastbourne districts inside the Park returned to the Authority, and several district council staff moved across, including planning officers, a heritage specialist adviser and an enforcement officer. The Authority's Lewes team is based at County Hall in Lewes, although there is no public reception there.
Applications carry a reference beginning SDNP, and Lewes Town Council's planning committee comments on those in the parish. Decisions that go to committee are made by the Authority's Planning Committee, sometimes in Lewes and sometimes at its head office in Midhurst.
Town and village by village
| Place | In the National Park? | Planning authority |
|---|---|---|
| Lewes town | Yes | South Downs National Park Authority |
| Kingston | Yes | South Downs National Park Authority |
| Glynde | Yes | South Downs National Park Authority |
| Rodmell | Yes | South Downs National Park Authority |
| Ringmer village | No; the boundary follows the edge of the village | Lewes District Council |
| Barcombe | No | Lewes District Council |
| Cooksbridge | Mainly no; Offham and Hamsey are largely inside | Lewes District Council for most homes |
How to ask before applying
The Authority offers pre-application advice, and for a listed building or an Article 4 elevation it is worth having: officers can say whether timber is expected and what drawings they want. Conservation drop-in sessions for properties inside the Park have been held at Lewes Town Hall; the councils' conservation page gives current dates. Householder planning applications are normally decided within eight weeks of being validated, and listed building consent runs to a similar timetable, so allow two to three months before an installer can order made-to-measure frames.
Building regulations are separate
Planning and listed building consent are about appearance. Replacement windows also have to meet building regulations for energy, safety glazing and escape from upstairs rooms. An installer registered with a competent person scheme can certify this without a separate building control application. For listed buildings, the energy rules allow flexibility where meeting them in full would harm the character of the building. See how enquiries work.