Your Questions

What is being planned for the Shoreham Harbour area?

A large-scale regeneration including the provision of new jobs and housing, as well as the new facilities and infrastructure needed to serve the area.

Shoreham Harbour has the potential to create economic growth through major investment. So Adur District Council, Brighton and Hove City Council and West Sussex County Council, working with Shoreham Port Authority, the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) and and Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) are working in partnership to achieve much needed economic, social and infrastructure improvements along this stretch of coast.

The area, which has suffered from slow but steady economic decline for many years, was awarded ‘Growth Point Status’ by the Government in July [2008], meaning that it could attract investment of millions of pounds to make improvements for the local community as part of a regeneration programme.

What area is being looked at?

An area from Hove Lagoon to Shoreham town centre and potentially northwards to the railway line. The exact area to be included is yet to be defined. Our goal is to include the port and the area around it that would benefit from regeneration activity.

It is crucial that a regeneration project of this kind properly integrates with the existing community and we will be consulting local people to ensure that the right improvements and opportunities are developed so they benefit from the project.

How does this project differ from previous unsuccessful attempts to regenerate Shoreham Harbour?

This project involves an excellent partnership between all the major parties in the area: the three local councils, the South East England Development Agency, the Shoreham Port Authority and other agencies. This partnership and ownership of the challenges ahead gives the best possible chance of success.

In addition, ‘Growth Point Status’ offers the possibility of attracting funds to pay for the infrastructure needed to create a major regeneration, which were not available when previous schemes were attempted.

Why are you trying to make this happen now?

A number of factors have come together to make this the right time to act. There is evidence that shows the need to maximise skills and talents in the local workforce, provide job opportunities, modernise the range of business and commercial enterprise and provide a broad base to underpin economic resilience. Studies show that unemployment, poor levels of education and skills and general deprivation are all features particularly around south Portslade, Fishersgate and parts of Shoreham.

There is mounting pressure for change given the scarcity of sites for development in the South East, the national drive for new homes and the recognition outlined above that the Shoreham Harbour area has significant pockets of deprivation and has suffered from a slow economic decline. This is one of the biggest potential regeneration areas in the south east outside London.

Are you planning 10,000 homes and where will they go?

The secretary of state's modifications to the South East Plan includes a proposal for 10,000 dwellings at Shoreham Harbour for the period 2006-2026, but this is 'subject to testing'. This proposal in turn was derived from regeneration work led by SEEDA which suggested that development of this scale would achieve the long-sought regeneration objectives for the area.

The key to the project is now the development of a Joint Area Action Plan which will test and consult on the best planning solution for the area.

What is a Joint Area Action Plan?

A Joint Area Action Plan (JAAP) is a planning document which provides the framework and guidelines for developers to work within in a fixed area. In this case it will offer a clear view, agreed by the three local authorities, on the area of land which could be considered for regeneration, as well as what kind of development will be acceptable in the area. A key part of developing a JAAP is consultation with local people and businesses. This has begun, but the full public consultation on specific options for the area will start later in 2010. The aim is to finalise this document by 2012.

What will happen to the port itself?

Shoreham Port will be an important part of the regeneration plans for the area and continue to be a significant player in the local economy. The intention is that it will be modernised and developed in line with the overall aims of the project.

Who is leading the Shoreham Harbour Regeneration?

Nine councillors will oversee work to create a Joint Area Action Plan, which provides the planning framework to attract major public and commercial investment. The lead councillors include: Cllr Emma Evans, Cllr Jim Funnell and Cllr Neil Parkin from Adur District Council; Cllr Les Hamilton, Cllr Steve Harmer-Strange and Cllr Ted Kemble from Brighton & Hove; and Deborah Urquhart, Frank Wilkinson and Clive Williams from West Sussex County Council.

How can people and organisations get involved?

There will be informal and formal consultation which started in November 2008 and extends throughout next year (2009-2010). Local councillors and key stakeholder representatives of community and interest groups participated in discussion groups in November 2008 and February 2009, working on developing a vision for the area and identifying key issues.

Public consultation on the Joint Area Action Plan will take place in 2010 and the aim is to complete the document in 2012.