Investigations into Future of Shoreham Harbour Development
12 December 2007
Funds have been allocated to kick-start investigations for the potentially comprehensive regeneration of the Shoreham Harbour area by the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA).
SEEDA’s Board has agreed in principal to grant up to £2.95 million towards the ambitious scheme, which could see the development of up to 10,000 new homes and 7,750 new jobs along with sustainable transport links, community, education and health facilities, leading to the creation of a thriving, state-of-the-art sustainable community on the Sussex coast. It is anticipated that this funding would be used to help partners move forward with scoping studies which look at exactly how the scheme could be brought to life.
All proposals for the Shoreham Harbour area – which stretches from Brighton in the east right through to Shoreham in the west - will need to go through the normal planning approval process before the development can take place. The scoping studies will need to demonstrate exactly how the scheme will work and how current expectations for sustainable development can be brought forward.
Partners associated with the Shoreham Harbour Joint Area Action Plan (including SEEDA, Shoreham Port Authority, the Local Authorities, Government Office for the South East (GOSE) and other Agencies) are currently making good progress in “taking forward” the planning, design and technical evaluation of the initiative within an overall proposal which seeks to -
- create a vibrant, thriving, new mixed-use community which will also provide significant and long term benefits to existing residents and businesses in the vicinity . This would be achieved by enhancing the local environment and improving the quality of life for those who live and work there
- develop a comprehensive approach which will -
- Pave the way for a major urban extension / infill which has the capacity to provide up to 7,750 jobs and 10,000 dwellings
- Reconfigure the layout of the Port and enable it to provide facilities and services which will both meet the future needs of the market and add value to the SE economy
- Encompass the highest standards of sustainability (including transport, environmental, social, economic) as an exemplar of best practice
West Sussex County Council, Adur District Council and Brighton and Hove City Council have been working closely with SEEDA on these proposals. Extensive public consultation will be carried out while plans are being devised in order for members of the public to have their say on the development.
This is a very different approach to the Shoreham Maritime proposals put forward in 2000 which did not proceed for two main reasons: the approach then concentrated on the provision of very significant up front infrastructure which resulted in a viability gap that was unacceptable to both public and private partners; and the lack of any inter-connectivity between the port and the existing communities in the vicinity, leading to local opposition.
Under the current project the Area Action Plan will be prepared to cover a much broader regeneration area (encompassing the existing nearby residential and business communities), a greater mix of development uses (including employment, retail and leisure), and a more efficient use of the site through higher densities. It is also hoped that the Rapid Transport System being developed by Brighton and Hove City Council will eventually be extended to provide a service to the new development.
Chris Moore , SEEDA Director of the Built Environment, said: “This is a hugely exciting, challenging project which we are delighted to be taking forward with our partners. We are looking to the future and developing a very special community here.
“This is not just about bricks and mortar. It is about creating a highly environmentally sustainable development which sets an example to developers across the rest of the UK and beyond in how to create a truly mixed-use scheme with excellent transport links and associated infrastructure.”
A working relationship has already been established with the Shoreham Port Authority (SPA) and a close working arrangement forged with Government departments and agencies. SEEDA and SPA are expected to finalise a Joint Venture development agreement by mid 2008.
The Partners will be taking a strategic approach to actions and activities over the next couple of years whilst the Area Action Plan is being developed. The plan will have to go through the normal statutory processes, to obtain approval of the three local authorities, and will be useful in co-ordinating their resources.
An expression of interest has also been registered with Communities and Local Government (CLG) in order to try and secure New Growth Point status for the project. This would mean the scheme would receive Government support in recognition of the development being built to the highest standards of sustainability and featuring affordable housing, business space, education, health and community facilities with good transport links to surrounding towns and cities.
Partners are expecting to find out whether or not the Shoreham Harbour area proposals will receive New Growth Point status sometime in Spring 2008. The recognition would help to lever in necessary funding, encourage inward investment and permit the scale of development necessary to support the proposals.
Shoreham is one of a number of coastal towns set for major regeneration under SEEDA’s targeted Coastal Strategy, due for publication in early 2008. The strategy will address the diverse potential and challenges in towns across the Coastal South East (Kent Thames Gateway, East Kent and Ashford, Sussex Coast, South Hampshire), leading to an action plan that will bring together the regional and local approaches needed to achieve critical mass for a locally driven transformation of each area.
The need for coastal regeneration has also been highlighted in the Regional Economic Strategy (RES) for the South East. The RES Implementation plan, which has been produced in consultation with a range of stakeholders, was launched at the end of October 2007.
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