Homes, leisure and retail plans part of £46m project

Residents were invited to have their say on the latest vision for the Ropetackle North site at an exhibition by housing provider Hyde last week.

The plans, which already have outline planning permission, include provision for 120 homes, cafe and art gallery, 380 square metres of retail space and a site for a 60-bed hotel.

Tom Shaw, Hyde Group development director, said: “Feedback at Ropetackle has been extremely positive and we thank the local community for their constructive, helpful and insightful feedback on our regeneration plans.

“We were especially pleased with the level of interest from people seeking further information with a view to potentially purchasing a home.”

Hyde is working with architects HGP, which boasts the design of the Spinnaker Tower, in Portsmouth, among its major achievements.

A reserved matters application later in the year will deal with matters of scale, appearance, layout and landscaping.

The general principle of the development and the key elements was established as part of the outline application, approved by Adur District Council’s planning committee in 2013.

Hyde claims the development will create 99 full-time equivalent jobs, including 62 construction and 37 roles as part of the commercial development.

The group estimates the development will result in a £1.4million annual boost to the local economy, primarily through £730,000 of spending by residents and £170,000 more council tax receipts for the council.

Information boards at the public exhibition last Wednesday read: “This is an exciting time for Shoreham, given the steady spread of enhancements and regeneration that is taking place.

“The vision for this very important development was to provide a scheme of quality and distinction that would provide not only new homes but also community facilities close to the town centre.

“This scheme will have a distinctive character, high-quality public realm, connectivity back to the town and take advantage of its riverside setting.”

The Shoreham Society, which advertised the exhibition in its members’ newsletter, warned the development could increase pressure on the town’s infrastructure.

The newsletter read: “Although the Ropetackle extension was inevitable, the additional housing raises concern about pressure on local infrastructure and services, especially as other residential developments in the town are already bringing a huge increase in the local population.”

Adur District Council leader Neil Parkin said he hoped the plans would help alleviate traffic problems affecting residents in Old Shoreham Road.

He said: “It is a key site for Shoreham and I am hoping through the development to be able to do something about the traffic problems that the residents in Old Shoreham Road are having.

“It is early days, yet, but I am hoping it will help alleviate the problems.”

The Ropetackle North site, adjacent to the already-built Ropetackle development, was identified as a key site for regeneration as part of the district’s emerging local plan.

It is a 2.69 hectare site, currently housing a number of commercial buildings and was previously occupied by a metal works.

Hyde purchased the site in July last year, following the successful outline planning application. It had initially discussed the site with the council in 2010.