Scale of developments around Shoreham's Western Harbour Arm reviewed

Following Adur District Council elections where the Conservatives just held on to their majority, Steve Neocleous has been appointed the new executive member for regeneration.

He has been tasked with keeping developments being proposed along Shoreham’s Western Harbour Arm on a reasonable scale whilst also ensuring Adur is delivering enough new homes.

Mr Neocleous has pledged to launch an immediate review on infrastructure including car parking, cycling lanes and schools. He has instructed officers to take a wider look at projects coming forward to ensure they factor these issues in when considering future developments.

His first task is to review the development proposals on the former Frosts site with a proper consultation with residents run by the council set to take place.

He said: “Make no mistake, the movement of heavy industry into other areas of the port to release valuable land for new homes was always important to Adur – and now we are seeing homes coming forward that people will be genuinely able to afford.

“But I have listened to people’s concerns about infrastructure - parking, traffic, schools and community facilities - and that is why I have asked for this review.

“From recent pronouncements, the Government is getting very tired of opportunistic developers bending the current planning rules to their advantage and wants to do something about the housing numbers game - and so do we.

“That way we can look at the area as a whole rather than piece by piece, and consider each development that is put to us - rather than having developers try to push through schemes that put more pressure on our town’s infrastructure against our wishes.”

The Joint Area Action Plan sets out the strategic development and land-use priorities for the Shoreham Harbour regeneration area up to 2032.

The review, in consultation with local organisations and stakeholders like the Shoreham Society, will look at what is underway and what’s in the pipeline - and what that means for the remainder of the Western Harbour Arm.

Labour’s Lee Cowen said they fully welcomed the review as long as it involves consulting with communities as they had been stating for years there had been little investment in infrastructure and developers are ‘wriggling out of their commitments too easily’.

Developments along the Western Harbour arm ‘aren’t sustainable’ and ‘not for the benefit of Shoreham and the wider area’, with the latest application for the Frosts site being a good example.

He added: “Looking at what's already been approved, the impact on Shoreham will be profound on the roads, air pollution, schools, health services and sewage. Active travel and sustainable locations are presented to override the guidance on car parking spaces yet the investment in active travel is not there and we don't have a great public transport network in Adur district.”

The Labour group also believes policies and guidance in the JAAP on design and massing have not been adhered to, while the climate emergency declaration has not been taken into account.