Former Shoreham civic centre site used as overflow car park

Adur District Council built a new office block on land between the railway line and Ham Road, which is occupied by The Focus Group.

The council has already knocked down the old civic centre building opposite after its move to the purpose-built Shoreham Centre in Pond Road.

Last year it agreed to sell the empty site to housing association Hyde Group so it could build 171 new homes.

In the meantime the vacant piece of land is being used by The Focus Group for overflow car parking.

Although a lease was agreed with the council’s estates section, planning permission was not sought at the time.

A decision on a retrospective application is due to be made by the council’s planning committee on Monday May 11.

According to an officers’ report: “While the council is actively seeking the redevelopment of the site, there is no current planning application for such redevelopment and so it can be assumed that any further use of the site is a number of months away.

“In the meantime, the former civic centre car park site has been developed and is now occupied by Focus. In itself, therefore, the use of a vacant site by an immediately adjoining occupier appears to be a sensible use of the land and given it is surrounded by hoardings at present, and will be so until the site is developed, the proposal has little visual impact.”

A message from the Editor, Gary Shipton:

In order for us to continue to provide high quality and trusted local news, I am asking you to please purchase a copy of our newspapers.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our local valued advertisers - and consequently the advertising that we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you helping us to provide you with news and information by buying a copy of our newspapers.

Our journalists are highly trained and our content is independently regulated by IPSO to some of the most rigorous standards in the world. But being your eyes and ears comes at a price. So we need your support more than ever to buy our newspapers during this crisis.

Stay safe, and best wishes.