Adur District Council has declared it will work closely with a developer to reduce the impact to the community of construction work — despite the authority losing a planning appeal.
Flats and townhouses are to be built on the site after the Planning Inspectorate overruled the district council’s rejection of the scheme.
In December 2022, Adur’s planning committee turned down an application from Cayuga for permission to build an eight-storey block of 24 flats, 21 three-storey townhouses and a commercial unit on the land next to Brighton Road.
The land had been earmarked for housing as part of the regeneration of Shoreham Harbour in Adur’s local plan, but councillors felt the size of the development would damage the setting of the nearby Grade II-listed Kingston Buci lighthouse.
Cayuga appealed against the council’s decision.
The local authority reported that the Planning Inspectorate decided the scheme can go ahead, saying it would cause “less than substantial harm to the setting of the lighthouse” and that the public benefit outweighs the impact.
As well as the homes and commercial unit, the plans include the creation of a riverside walk, a play area, green spaces and parking.
The council will decide whether five of the flats to be built must be affordable or if Cayuga can instead pay £427,500 towards the construction of affordable homes elsewhere in the district.
Cayuga will also have to provide funding for extra NHS investment as well as improved schools, green spaces and roads in the area.
Council officers said they will contact Cayuga to gain a clearer understanding of the developer’s timescales.
The council has also set up a Developers’ Forum.
The local authority said the forum aims to secure better co-ordination between landowners and developers in the Shoreham Harbour area to minimise the disruption that construction work causes nearby residents, such as from noise and extra traffic congestion.
Cllr Steve Neocleous, Adur’s cabinet member for regeneration and strategic planning, asked for the forum to be set up when he was appointed to the position last year.
He said:
"Maximising the use of brownfield land like the Howard Kent site helps us protect our much-loved countryside from development.
"We also need new homes and the regeneration of Shoreham Harbour, but this must be done sustainably and in a way that will not damage the quality of life of our existing community.
"Through the Developers’ Forum that has recently held its first meeting and the forthcoming Infrastructure Forum, we will work together with the businesses and infrastructure providers involved to ensure the thoughts and concerns of our community are not just considered but acted upon as a new-look Shoreham grows and thrives."
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