Developer gives update on New Monks Farm IKEA development after construction halted

Construction of 600 houses on land west of Shoreham Airport was postponed at the end of March, just weeks after work had finally started.

Work on a new training complex for Brighton and Hove Albion – the driving force behind the development – also had to be halted.

Groundwork laid for construction may have filled with water, but a spokesman for the club has confirmed work is set to resume.

“The covid-19 situation has had a huge impact on all of our operations including our developments at the training ground and New Monks Farm which were halted in line with government regulations,” he said.

“We are, however, now looking at ways we can resume works but strictly in accordance with government regulations and the training protocols agreed with the Premier League.”

Full planning permission for the site, which will also include an IKEA superstore and roundabout on the A27, was finally granted in February.

Housing developer CALA homes was set to build its show homes in March, with residents moved in by the end of the year.

Under the terms of planning permission, no more than 60 homes could be build until Grinstead Lane is improved and no more than 249 until A27 work is completed.

Construction on the new A27 roundabout, to replace the Sussex Pad crossing, was due to start at the end of 2020, with IKEA hoping to open at the end of next year.

The constant delays and economic pressure have led to fears the Swedish flat-pack giant could pull out.

A spokesman for the company said work was ‘rightly suspended’ for the pandemic and it would keep the community updated with its plans as work on the site progresses.

Full information on the potential timeline for construction can be found here: This is when Lancing’s IKEA could open, how long the A27 work will take and when the homes will be finished