Major breakthrough in Lancing IKEA planning application

The development of New Monks Farm in Lancing has taken a significant step forward after the Government declined the option to call it in.
An artist's impression of the proposed IKEAAn artist's impression of the proposed IKEA
An artist's impression of the proposed IKEA

Planning permission for the project, which would include 600 new homes and an IKEA superstore, was approved by Adur District Council's planning committee in October but was referred to the Secretary of State for Communities.

Today (May 22), the council received confirmation from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government that it would not be called in, meaning the decision to approve the application still stands.

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The leader of Adur District Council, Neil Parkin, said the decision would provide a great boost to the local economy.

”After seven months of waiting, I very much welcome this decision from the government which gives certainty to the developer while also providing a massive shot in the arm for our local economy," he said.

"This application was one of the largest ever in Adur’s, history promising an investment of more than £150 million and the creation of hundreds of homes and jobs, along with community space.”

The next step for the application will mean a legal agreement will have to be signed before full planning permission can be granted.

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As well as the furniture superstore and 600 homes, the proposal from New Monks Farm Development, a subsidiary of Brighton and Hove Albion FC, also includes the provision of a new roundabout on the A27, a country park, land for a school and a community hub.

How New Monks Farm could lookHow New Monks Farm could look
How New Monks Farm could look

It will also see the relocation and expansion of the Withy Patch Gypsy and Traveller site.

Read the full story, up to now, of the New Monks Farm development here: All you need to know about the IKEA decision meeting

The Secretary of State's letter said the Government was committed to giving 'more power to councils and communities to make their own decisions on planning issues' and would use call-in powers 'very selectively'.

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As a result, it said, it would be left to Adur District Council to decide the outcome of the application.

The New Monks Farm siteThe New Monks Farm site
The New Monks Farm site

Member of Parliament for East Worthing and Shoreham, Tim Loughton, has been a vocal critic of the proposal since it was first mooted in 2016 and this afternoon tweeted his disappointment that the decision would not be called in.