Plans announced to invest millions into programme of works to improve quality of life for Adur residents

Enhanced public spaces, improved housing and new Council Homes are all part of an ambitious £14.2m investment plan from Adur District Council.

The sum includes more than £11m for Adur Homes, the district’s housing arm, to invest in new properties and upgrade existing stock to meet ever increasing demand.

Bringing leisure centres up to scratch and upgrading play areas are also part of the Council’s capital investment programme.

A report to the Council’s Joint Strategic Committee (JSC) warned that the financial climate remained challenging for local authorities, but councillors were still able to approve a range of investments over the next three years.

Leisure centres will see a number of enhancements. Lancing Manor Leisure Centre’s main hall will undergo a floor replacement costing £60,000 and Wadurs Swimming Pool will have a replacement boiler and plant costing £90,000. Parts of the roof of Southwick Leisure Centre will also be replaced. The centres are owned by the Council but operated by Impulse Leisure.

Playgrounds across Adur will also receive an upgrade, with Middle Road, Sompting and Southwick Recreation Grounds all set to benefit from works over the next three years.

Adur town centres will undergo works to enhance public spaces and improve facilities, particularly in Lancing and Southwick. Public toilets will also be brought up to a good standard following a comprehensive review, including those in Fort Haven, Widewater, Southwick Square and Beach Green Shoreham.

The importance of Adur’s parks and open spaces is also recognised in the programme. New fencing, resurfacing of footpaths and other landscaping will improve Buckingham Park and help it achieve Green Flag status as well as improving disability access.

Fitness equipment will be introduced at Elmgrove and Adur Recreation Grounds. Resurfacing of Fishersgate Recreation Ground car park costing £140,000 is also planned.

The Council, through Adur Homes, is looking to purchase properties and bring empty properties back into use to help address the rising cost of temporary and emergency accommodation in the private sector.

Grants will also be offered to registered social landlords to help improve the supply of affordable housing and a number of Adur Homes properties will receive maintenance work following a condition survey.

The Council will also undertake surveys to assess the condition of its leased out properties, as well as its corporate buildings to determine their energy efficiency and inform a programme of planned maintenance works.

Adur District Council's Executive Member for Resources, Cllr Angus Dunn, said:

“We are confident that this investment will deliver long-term benefits for the communities across Adur. The current financial climate remains challenging for local government, but we have laid out an achievable programme which will improve the quality of life of our residents.”

The capital investment programme is set on a two year basis to enable better programming of schemes and to ensure cost-effective procurement.

Funding from the programmes will come from prudential borrowing, capital grants, revenue and reserve funding and capital receipts.