No to homes on Worthing town centre site

But the development control committee,was unable to make a conclusive decision, as the application had already gone to appeal.

Instead, it made recommendations based on what it would have done, had it been able to decide the fate of the site.

An original application, made by developers McCarthy & Stone, for 74 homes on the site was refused by the committee last year.

The company appealed, but has now withdrawn that appeal and replaced it with a new one for a revised scheme.

It now wants to build 65 warden-assisted homes for the frail and elderly on the campus site, including two in Grade II-listed Elm Lawn House. The application will now be determined at a public inquiry in May.

Councillors, meeting at Worthing Town Hall on Thursday, April 5, went along with the recommendations of the council officers' report and said they would have rejected the application for three main reasons:

It would be an overbearing form of development and unsympathetic to the character and setting of Elm Lawn House.

With its height, scale and massing, and poor design, it would overdevelop the site and detract from the character and appearance of the streetscene.

The proposal did not provide required development contributions for improvements to local transport in the area, to accommodate the additional pressure on local infrastructure.

They did, however, decide they would have granted listed building consent, with conditions, so the building would be protected from damage.