Adur’s Labour leader Lee Cowen has welcomed a review of future developments alongside Shoreham harbour and believes this should involve consulting our communities.

The council’s Conservative Executive Member for Regeneration said yesterday new developments should be on a “reasonable scale”. This comes after Conservative councillors on Adur’s planning committee agreed a controversial nine-storey development on the former Adur Civic Centre site.

Lee Cowen said: “We fully welcome a review of development on the Western Harbour arm as long as it involves consulting our communities.

“We’ve been stating for several years that there is little investment in infrastructure and developers are wriggling out of their commitments too easily. It’s clear that development we’re seeing along the Western Harbour arm isn’t sustainable and not for the benefit of Shoreham and the wider area.

“There is no better example than the latest planning application on the Frosts site where the developer is offering zero affordable housing, selling car parking spaces and citing the demand for second homes. Looking at what’s already been approved the impact on Shoreham will be profound on the roads, air pollution, schools, health services and sewage. Active travel and sustainable locations are presented to override the guidance on car parking spaces yet the investment in active travel is not there for Adur, nor do we have a great public transport network.

We also feel in terms of design and general massing, the policies and guidance set out in the Joint Area Action Plan have not been adhered to nor is it taking into account the Council’s declared climate emergency.

“We need a Council that isn’t afraid to challenge the Conservative government’s policies,” he said.

Local paper article here: https://www.sussexexpress.co.uk/news/politics/scale-of-developments-around-shorehams-western-harbour-arm-reviewed-3706514