Major plans for river bank unveiled

Qunitus developers which have bought the Riverbank Industrial Estate and the riverbank site off the Old Shoreham Road staged an exhibition of plans.

These include 250 apartments in a six-storey block, 24 town houses behind Smiths Yard, and 52 affordable homes as well as six-storey office block and public riverside board walk.

Parking would be underground and the developers are looking at building up the river flood defences to 5.6 metres.

Tony Wood from Quintus told residents at the exhibition: "Obviously we are not going to please everyone who lives in Old Shoreham Road with this development.

"Those whose gardens back on it are saying their light will be affected but we dispute this."

Mr Wood said he hoped to put in an outline planning application to Adur council by the end of April.

But residents and neighbours of Old Shoreham Road have formed the Shoreham Riverbank Support Group and have pledged to fight the development.

They expressed fears back in November when the developers bought the land and moved onto the river embankment with heavy machinery to rip out trees and vegetation as well as demolishing one of the units on the nearby industrial estate.

The group has set up a website www.srsg.org.uk for people to leave their comments and concerns.