Proposal to transform former landfill site

The views of residents are now being sought on plans to transform a former Worthing landfill site into a job-creating high-tech business park.

Years of environmental work at what is now wasteland at Decoy Farm to the east of the borough to make it fit for development are now complete. Now the Council is looking to transform the land into business units to create more employment opportunities.

The proposal is for up to 18 modern units with car parking, covering the equivalent of approximately two football pitches, to be created which could be used for a variety of business uses.

Sitting next to Worthing’s household waste recycling centre, it is the last remaining large-scale brownfield potential employment space available in the borough.

The first phase of development at the site, which is close to East Worthing railway station and bordering Sompting, would see the construction of a new entrance on Dominion Way and an inner access road around the site to link Dominion Way to Deacon Way.

But now Worthing Borough Council wants to hear from the public on the scheme before going further with plans.

Worthing Borough Council on Decoy Farm plans

Worthing Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Cllr Martin McCabe, said, “Decoy Farm has been an eyesore for many years. After intensive work to return the site to use we now have an opportunity to create more employment opportunities for our community and bring this area back to life.

However in the spirit of this Council and our Big Listen philosophy we want to be sure we are hearing what the community thinks first and I urge as many people as possible to take part in the consultation we are running on the proposals.”

A new website has been built to give full details of the plans and a feedback form to allow people to give their views. Hard copies of the form can be obtained at Worthing Town Hall.

The Council secured almost £5m of government funding to clear the seven hectare site before it was ready to be developed. Hundreds of snakes, lizards, mice and voles were even relocated to other wildlife havens in the borough to prepare the way for the proposals.

The website with feedback form for Decoy Farm can be found here decoyfarmworthing.co.uk that and other current consultations can also be found here www.adur-worthing.gov.uk/consultations