Adur Civic Centre housing amended planning

Revised plans to build 159 affordable homes on the site of the former Adur Civic Centre have been submitted for planning consideration. Hyde has altered the application in the wake of a public consultation period and after consultations with the leader of Adur District Council which owns the land.

Hyde has removed two floors from its original proposal bringing the building to below the height of the nearby Free Wharf development currently under construction. The number of flats, all of which will be classed as affordable, have been reduced by 12 to 159.

The amended plans also reduce the commercial floorspace by over 160 sqm and 4 additional car parking spaces have been provided.

The application envisages 63 of the flats to be available for social rent for people on Adur’s housing waiting list. The remainder of the housing will be available for shared ownership for those unable to get on the property ladder.

A revised Landscaping plan has also been submitted, showing that the scheme proposes to plant 20 trees to replace one mature poplar tree. Hyde says the loss of more affordable homes and commercial space could not be justified to retain the tree.

The Council demolished its own building in 2017 to allow a proposal to be developed in the Adur Civic Centre site insisting they should be affordable and for social rent.

After a public consultation on the original plan some residents expressed concern about the height of the 11-storey building.

Adur Civic Centre application meeting and details

Leader of the Council, Cllr Neil Parkin, said, ‘This still has to be subject to the rigours of the planning committee and I am not going to interfere with that but in this case, as owners of the site, it was incumbent on me, and me alone, to discuss with Hyde the concerns of the public emerging from the consultation period.

‘The result is this amended proposal which lowers the height of the building, reduces the density and adds more parking. It will be up to the committee to make the decision on the application but I was keen for the applicants to listen to the voice of the local community.’

Adur District Council’s Planning Committee will meet on March 2nd to determine the application for the Adur Civic Centre site. In the meantime, the public is able to see details of the new application here by searching the reference number AWDM/1450/21.