Cabinet backs major plans to redevelop Adur Civic Centre

Cabinet members gave their backing to major plans to redevelop Adur Civic Centre last night (Wednesday, July 14).
Adur Civic CentreAdur Civic Centre
Adur Civic Centre

Adur District Council intends to demolish the existing civic centre, in Ham Road, Shoreham, and undergo design work on a mixed-use scheme.

The council also plans to build a £10million office block on the car park, generating revenue and providing much-needed employment space.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Leader Neil Parkin said: “For the future of our District, this is a key opportunity to regenerate an existing vacant site to support our employment needs and offer new homes.”

The council’s latest plans follow the breakdown of a £60million redevelopment deal with KSD SteelRock last year.

Council staff moved from the civic centre into the newly-refurbished Shoreham Centre, in Pond Road, in January.

Demolition of the centre would remove the council’s liability for business rates and enable site surveys and ground investigations to take place, ahead of design work.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The first phase of development would see the office block constructed, with a scheme on the site of the demolished centre brought forward afterwards. Planning permission will be required for the various stages of development, before they progress.

Cabinet member for regeneration Brian Boggis said: “The vacant Adur Civic Centre provides the Council with a fantastic opportunity to deliver new and much needed business premises, jobs and homes.

“It’s great for Adur that we can make use of this redundant brownfield site to enhance our district’s economy. Going forward, it will be vital to see people getting involved with consultations throughout the planning process, to help shape the scheme into a fitting development for our community.”

Speaking at the joint strategic committee meeting last night, director for the economy Martin Randall said demolition of the civic centre would be an ‘incredibly strong signal’ to the market that the council was serious about redeveloping the site.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

He said the council could seek a development partner for the second phase but building the office block would allow the council to generate income.

Deputy leader Angus Dunn said he was ‘really excited’ about the plans.

Responding to Labour leader Les Alden’s calls for affordable housing to be a key element of any design, he said: “We have already committed to building, aside from this, more and more affordable housing.

“It’s very important but we have already made these commitments well before Mr Alden parachuted into Adur.”

-