A development masterplan for Worthing is set to be given final approval after several years of work.
Worthing Borough Council is set to adopt its new ‘Local Plan’ on Tuesday (13 December) which sets out a masterplan for development up to 2036.
It is a process which has taken several years, various evidence studies, and reviews by the Planning Inspectorate.
The plan covers the whole borough but not the Downs which is under the jurisdiction of the South Downs National Park Authority.
It is necessary to set out how housing and business space will be delivered in the borough.
Without an updated plan, the council is at risk of being forced to accept developments it may not otherwise approve, especially because it failed to meet government housing targets at the beginning of the year. This would mean less local input into planning decisions.
Following a final report from the Planning Inspector in October, the council is now in a position to adopt its new Local Plan, which will replace the older version made in 2003 and policies made in 2011.
As well as setting out areas where development should be expected, the plan also highlights areas which should be precluded.
This includes Chatsmore Farm, also known as the Goring Gap.
Plans for 475 homes are still on the table at the site despite its status as one of four ‘local green gaps’ in the plan, with an Appeal Court date currently awaited.
Though the council can take some reassurance from the fact that the Planning Inspector backed its decision to effectively ban development there on the grounds that it would ‘harm’ the character of the area.
Around 14,100 new homes are thought to be needed in Worthing between 2020 and 2036, or 885 a year, as the population increases.
But this is a ‘much higher level than the borough has previously planned for or delivered’ and the council will set a much lower minimum target of just over 3,600 new homes (230 per year) in its Local Plan.
Between 2006 and 2019 it’s estimated that a total of 3,900 new homes were built.
It is clear that brownfield sites alone won’t be enough to accommodate new homes in the next decade so six sites have also been set aside on the edge of Worthing.
A minimum of 24,000 square metres of employment and 9,200 square metres of commercial space would also be delivered under the plan which has an emphasis on ‘sustainable’ development and regeneration.
More details about the Local Plan can be found here: https://www.adur-worthing.gov.uk/worthing-local-plan/about/.
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