Plans Approved To Build Flats On Top Of Worthing Shopping Centre

Monday, 12 June 2023 07:12

By Karen Dunn, Local Democracy Reporter

Plans to add up to three floors to a Worthing shopping centre to provide 42 flats have been approved by the borough council.

The application from Cayuga Developments Ltd for the Montague Quarter, in Liverpool Road, was given the nod by the planning committee on Wednesday (June 7).

Officers have worked for more than a year with the architect and Historic England to make the original plans more acceptable.

This included reducing the number of flats from 50, the removal of one storey and the lowering of the proposed roof.

The southern end of the development will include a two-storey wing of flats looking onto the arcaded section of Liverpool Street in one direction and towards Liverpool Gardens beyond the Frink Heads in the other.

The central section will be a largely three-storey wing of flats facing onto the pedestrianised part of Liverpool Street (north of the glazed arcade) and onto the rear of Alexander Terrace, with a single storey added in one small area.

The northern end, above TK Maxx, will have a three-storey extension wrapped around a new internal courtyard.

The development will include no affordable housing, with officers agreeing it would not be financially viable, but the applicant offered £50,000 to go towards affordable housing elsewhere in the borough.

Another £97,000 was offered for open space and recreation facilities in the borough.

After discussing the application, the committee agreed with chairman Andy Whight (Lab, Marine) that those figures should be reversed, with more going to affordable housing.

The council received objections to both the original application and the revised plans, with concerns raised about over-development, excessive height and issues including noise pollution, insufficient parking, loss of light to surrounding properties, and the impact on the Conservation Area.

The application was approved by 6 votes to 0 with 2 abstentions.