Accessing Charleston: Removing the barrier to growth

Charleston is an artists’ house and studio museum of international significance in the heart of the South Downs National Park in East Sussex and home to the renowned Charleston Festival.

The access track is currently in a poor condition due to drainage issues which have led to a broken surface with cracks and large potholes. The poor quality of the access track discourages visitors from making repeat visits to Charleston and impacts on the ability of Charleston to grow their events and festivals programme.

The project will address these issues by:

• providing additional drainage along the access track; and
• widening and resurfacing the lane.

Charleston has previously received investment of £120,000 from the Growing Places Fund to support the creation of a cafe-restaurant at the site. Further details can be found here.

Award of funding

The project was considered by the SELEP Accountability Board on 20th November 2020 and the award of £89,293 of Getting Building Fund funding was agreed as set out in the Summary of Decisions.

Additional funding to support the delivery of a new cycle path and to enable complete resurfacing of the entire access road was also sought through the Getting Building Fund. The award of an additional £240,542 was approved by the SELEP Accountability Board on 2nd July 2021.

£85m of investment to East Sussex, Essex, Kent, Medway, Southend and Thurrock

The Getting Building Fund focuses on projects that can progress quickly and that will stimulate and better integrate economies in some of the most economically impacted and COVID-affected parts of the South East.

£85m of Getting Building Fund investment has been secured, enabling delivery of 45 projects across East Sussex, Essex, Kent, Medway, Southend and Thurrock.

Find out more here