Union Place plans move forward after gaining unanimous approval by Worthing Borough Council

The plans for 216 homes in a mixed use development on the old Union Place car park, Worthing, were approved unanimously by the council’s planning committee at its meeting on Wednesday, February 28.

The project is to be part of a joint venture between developer Roffey Homes and Worthing Borough Council, with the council previously agreeing to purchase £6 million worth of shares in the venture once it was set up – with profits to be split 50/50 between the partners.

General Manager of Roffey Homes Ben Cheal, said the development could cost around £55 million to build, adding they hoped to start construction around the end of the year/January 2025.

Plans will see four to 11 storey blocks of flats including live/work flats, 5,500 sqm of office space, a total of 235 undercroft parking spaces, several internal ‘podium gardens’ over the new car park, a community cafe and a pocket garden.

It will include 104 one-bed homes, 100 two-bed homes and 12 three-bed homes with 43 being affordable homes – roughly 20 per cent of the development.

Samuel Theodoridi (Lab, Castle) said he was ‘genuinely excited’ for the development and what it meant for the future of Worthing, saying it would bring some ‘vitality’ into the town.

He said: “This will represent the most significant development we have had in Worthing for quite some time.”