Redeveloping HMRC Goring site for housing given green light

The current office buildings, apart from Durrington Bridge House, would all be demolished as the government agency moves its operations to Teville Gate House, currently under construction in Worthing.

Outline planning permission for 287 homes, a mixture of houses and flats, as well as a 68-bed care home, was unanimously approved by Worthing Borough Council’s planning committee on Wednesday (July 22) for the site next to Durrington Railway Station off Barrington Road.

More detailed plans around layout and design will come forward once the land is sold to a developer though reserved matters applications.

Matt Hawkins, managing director at Cannon Capital, the development arm of the company that owns the site, told councillors: “This frankly unloved and ugly site could with your support be transformed into a quality housing development which will respond to your housing needs in the district.”

He explained that although they were directly building new homes in Southampton and Milton Keynes, the plan here was to find a developer or possibly two to deliver the new homes.

However they may carry out site clearance and demolition works themselves to get the site ready for development.

Originally no affordable housing was proposed, backed up by a viability statement, but officers have negotiated it up to at least seven per cent.

Since this is still way short of the council’s 30 per cent target, there were hopes that this could be increased further after a developer is brought on board.

The applicant explained that site clearance costs and the need to deal with contamination including asbestos above and below ground were major factors.

Jim Deen (Lab, Central) was one of several councillors who hoped the number of affordable homes could be increased from 20 to nearer 90.

Although he had ‘distinct reservations’ about parts of the scheme, the threat of the existing office buildings being converted into housing under permitted development rights tilted the balance in its favour.

Martin McCabe (LDem, Tarring) also spoke of the danger of refusing the application and instead getting ‘rabbit hutch housing’ through permitted development.

Noel Atkins (Con, Salvington) added: “It’s a development which I think the town needs. We need housing and if we can eventually get the affordable housing up and near 90 as possible with grants from Homes England that would be brilliant.”

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