Worthing Borough Council’s decision to dismiss plans for an 11-storey seafront development has been supported by an independent Government Inspector.

The land at the corner of Grand Avenue and West Parade was subject to a planning application by Roffey Homes. An appeal was lodged after the Council’s Planning Committee refused planning permission in April 2015.

In a report published this week, Inspector John Gray conclusively dismissed the plans, supporting the arguments made by Worthing Borough Council and local residents.

Cllr Kevin Jenkins, Chair of Worthing Borough Council’s Planning Committee, commented: “It’s nice to see the Committee’s decision, with support from local residents, vindicated by the Government’s independent inspector.

“Looking to the future, we do not want to see this prominent site fall derelict. It is important to work with the local community and a developer to produce an appropriate and sensitively designed development, which not only makes best use of the site and delivers more homes but is sustainable, achieves a high standard of design and safeguards local residents’ amenity.” 

In his report, Mr Gray concluded that arguments for the development did not outweigh the  design shortcomings and harm to neighbours’ amenity. “The proposed development would be inappropriate in design terms because of a combination of its siting (forward of the building lines on West Parade and Grand Avenue), height (significantly taller than its neighbours) and massing (in relation to both Regis Court and the dwellings on Grand Avenue).”

The report also went on to say “the siting and bulk of the building would unacceptably diminish the level of residential amenity enjoyed by the occupiers of some neighbouring dwellings”.

The appeal decision and the other important documents can be seen in full on the Council’s website, www.adur-worthing.gov.uk/planning, under the reference AWDM/1805/14.