Site preparation underway for new Worthing employment hub

Work to transform a former Worthing landfill site into a new employment hub is well underway.

Decoy Farm in Dominion Way forms part of the East Worthing Trading Estate and has lay dormant since 1979 due to contamination.

Now, as part of a wider programme to create jobs post-Covid, Worthing Borough Council has brought in specialist contractors Keltbray to decontaminate the land.

This will prepare it for commercial development, creating up to 13,500 square metres of potential floorspace for businesses.

Kevin Jenkins, the council’s executive member for regeneration, who recently visited the site with contractors and council officers, said: “It’s wonderful to see work carried out here after the site has laid dormant for 40 years. Once decontamination is complete, this will be prime land for development.

“Unlocking Decoy Farm for commercial use will be a boost for businesses and jobs in the area, creating yet another opportunity for economic growth in Worthing.

“Projects like this are an integral part of the town’s recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic, as they show that now more than ever it is ‘Time for Worthing’.”

A spokesperson for Keltbray said: “It’s great for us to get started on this project. This is the ultimate in brownfield development. We started on site early November and we plan to finish in March. The scheme is progressing to that programme.”

Adur and Worthing Councils’ joint strategic committee approved decontamination works at Decoy Farm back in June.

Workers are clearing the site and levelling it out before capping it with clay to make it ready for development. Keltbray will recover 20,000 cubic metres of materials from the site.

The project began in mid-November and is expected to be complete by the end of March. The council will then consider detailed plans for the site with the creation of local jobs a key priority.