This is when Shoreham’s new £9.5m office block will open

Work on the £9.5 million development on the former Civic Centre car park site in Ham Road is now mostly complete.

A council spokesman said work is due to be finished by the end of April.

The four-storey building will then be leased by the council to commmunications company Focus Group, which will relocate from its current base in Southwick.

Councillor Neil Parkin, leader of Adur District Council, who was recently given a tour of the building, said: “Very soon the transformation of an ugly tarmac strip for council workers cars into a head office for a growing national company will be complete.

“This is a prime example of how as a local authority we can use our assets for the greater good.

“The new building itself not only generates an income for the taxpayer but also creates jobs for residents and generating business for local traders.”

The development will bring back into use a site which had been largely vacant since the Civic Centre closed in 2013.

The project has been supported by £1.8 million of funding from the Coast to Capital Local Enterprise Partnership and is being overseen by Willmott Dixon,

Ralph Gilbert, of Focus Group, said: “We want to make this building one of the best offices in the region so that we can attract the best staff while showcasing some of the groundbreaking technology which we advocate and install for firms across the UK.

“We are all really excited that after many months of waiting we are soon to move into our new home four weeks ahead of schedule.”

Adur District Council is now inviting would-be developers to come forward with bids for the neighbouring site, formerly home to the civic centre – read more here.

SEE MORE: Hotel and GP surgery among ideas for Shoreham site as council seeks bids from developers

Work progresses on £9.5m office block in Shoreham