Goring development of 287 homes given the green light

Bellway Homes is proposing to build 287 homes at the former HM Revenue and Customs site, at Barrington Road.

They will replace office buildings dating from the 1940s and 1960s.

The government department and some 900 staff moved to the redeveloped Teville Gate House, in Worthing, last year.

Worthing Borough Council’s planning committee endorsed the latest plans on Wednesday (September 21).

The principle of the development (known as outline planning permission) was previously approved and the latest application included further details such as scale, layout, and appearance.

The proposal includes a mixture of houses, four blocks of flats up to five-storeys high, and a 68-bed care home – which will have a separate planning application.

A seven-storey design was initially considered but Julian Goodman, regional planning director at Bellway, said this was considered to be ‘at the higher end of acceptability’.

An area of open space is planned at the centre of the development as well as a cycle link through the site.

A shared cycle and footpath will be created along the existing one running east to west and the footpath to the railway is set to be improved.

There will be 462 parking spaces.

A total of 22 affordable homes are planned – less than the 30 per cent required by the council.

Mr Goodman explained that more affordable homes would make the development ‘unviable’.

There were several objections to the application, including from the council’s drainage engineer.

Some members of the public said the apartment blocks would be ‘overbearing’ adding that existing problems with anti-social behaviour near the railway station could be exacerbated.

Russ Cochran (Con, Northbrook) called for quality lighting in the central green area.

“We wouldn’t want it to become a haven for crime,” he said.

One resident said some avoid using the east to west path at night due to ‘fears for their safety’.

Local school children also asked Bellway to keep the pathway open during construction.

One said: “Many people rely on the path to use daily for school drop-offs and pick-ups.”

Mr Goodman said the developer would keep the path open for as long as possible during construction, as long as it is safe to do so.