New temporary and emergency accommodation planned in Worthing and Lancing

Senior councillors have supported two developments to provide much-needed temporary and emergency accommodation.
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Unanimous support was given to turn South Street car park, in Lancing, and 20-22 Victoria Road, Worthing, into temporary accommodation on Tuesday (7 June).

The Lancing scheme could provide eight new units and will cost an estimated £2.336m.

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At Victoria Road, which is being vacated by the South East Reserve Forces & Cadet Association, 11 flats are planned with a budget of £3.4 million.

Victoria Road, Worthing (Google Maps Streetview)Victoria Road, Worthing (Google Maps Streetview)
Victoria Road, Worthing (Google Maps Streetview)

Officers said both sites are ‘under-utilised’ and could be better used to address the increasing need for emergency accommodation.

More detailed plans should come forward in due course.

Adur and Worthing Councils’ housing strategy says there is an ‘acute demand for affordable and temporary housing’ with costs rising.

Last year a Freedom of Information request found that Adur District Council was placing families outside the district – up to 140 miles away in one case – due to a shortage of affordable housing and rising rental costs.

South Street car park, Lancing (Google Maps Streetview)South Street car park, Lancing (Google Maps Streetview)
South Street car park, Lancing (Google Maps Streetview)
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Since 2017, the number of people in need of temporary or emergency housing in the area has risen by a net average of three per month, according to a report.

It is thought that 95 emergency and temporary units will be needed in Adur by 2023 and 163 in Worthing.

With costs rising, these two schemes could save the councils £18,000 and £25,000 respectively over one year when compared to B&B accommodation.

Over their lifetime, they could save more than £10 million collectively.

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Earlier this year Worthing Borough Council became a registered social landlord which gives it access to grants for temporary and emergency accommodation schemes.

At a meeting of the Joint Strategic Committee on Tuesday (7 June) Adur executive member for the environment Emma Evans (Con, Buckingham) asked how long such accommodation takes to complete.

Cian Cronin, head of major projects and investment, estimated this to be ‘three to three and a half years’ from building to exchanging keys.

New WBC executive member Emma Taylor called for ‘more units’ at both sites but acknowledged that the schemes also had to be appropriate for their surroundings.

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“I’m really happy to hear the urgency that is being placed on emergency and temporary accommodation,” she said.

“I accept the need to be mindful of numbers with the cost pressures that we’re under, but what I feel is slightly insensitive when we’re talking the cost of materials, is we’re forgetting sometimes about the cost to people’s emotional and physical wellbeing when they are stuck in a trap of unsuitable or insufficient housing.”

The Adur and Worthing Housing Strategy for 2020-2023 was adopted in March this year and aims to provide more than 1,000 affordable homes by 2025.

It estimated that 653 additional homes will be required across both Adur and Worthing per year for those who cannot afford to rent, with a further 146 required for affordable purchase.

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The strategy was drawn up under the previous Conservative administration and group leader Kevin Jenkins (Con, Goring) said: “It’s really pleasing to see the continued work on delivering Pathways to Affordable Housing.

“We all recognise the need for emergency accommodation within the town and long may we continue to strive to do this.”