Plans for extra flats at Free Wharf housing development in Shoreham approved

The change will take the number of flats in the partially built eight-block development, in Brighton Road, to 587.

The application from Southern Housing Group was given the nod during a meeting of the planning committee on Tuesday (January 31).

Applications for Free Wharf have been popping up since 2017 when the first request to develop the site was received.

And while phase one of the work is well under way, the world has changed a lot in five years.

Committee members were told that, without the additional flats – 12 of which would be classed as affordable – the rest of the scheme would not be financially viable.

Even with approval and the extra affordable housing grant it could bring, it would fall below what was recognised as a commercial profit margin.

Stressing the need for the development to be completed, head of planning James Appleton said: “All our projections on future housing supply are based on this development being rolled out.

“If we didn’t have these 300-odd dwellings then that would be a major hole in our future housing supply.”

As well as the increase in housing numbers, several other changes to the development were approved.

The height of one block was increased by just over one metre and the amount of commercial space was cut from the 2,707sqm approved in 2018 to 2163sqm.

Parking was reduced to 381 residential spaces and 26 commercial spaces – but a car club hub was added, with space for up to 12 car club vehicles.

There will also be more open space and room for 596 bicycles.

And rather than linking up to a communal gas heating system/district heat network as originally planned, flats will be fitted with exhaust air heat pumps.

The council received a handful of objections to the plans.

Kim Matthews, speaking on behalf of Adur Residents Environmental Action raised concerns about air pollution at the junction of Humphreys Gap and the A259 and also about drainage.

He told councillors that the junction had flooded in late November, with sewage spilling into nearby Ham Road.

Committee members, though, we happy to approve the plans.