Adur Council approves new designs to save popular Shoreham tree
Released: Tuesday, 24 October 2023
We've approved new plans to save the Adur Civic Centre poplar tree while redeveloping the site in Shoreham.
Adur District Council's planning committee last night agreed to new designs by housing association Hyde Group that will see 159 homes built on the site in a layout that will preserve the tree.
Hyde Group was granted planning permission to develop the land earlier this year but that original scheme would have seen the grey poplar felled.
In listening to local residents' concerns, we understood the fact that saving the tree was a local priority. Our officers and members of Adur's cabinet organised a series of meetings to listen to the wishes of the community.
We then worked with Hyde to come up with new proposals that involve the same number of flats being built but on a smaller section of the land at the junction between Brighton Road, Ham Road and Eastern Avenue.
Other approved changes to the plans include less ground floor commercial space being built, along with fewer one-bedroom flats but more two and three-bedroom flats suitable for families.
We are also preparing a tree preservation order which will give even greater protection for the grey poplar.
As well as ensuring that saving the tree doesn't mean the housing provision will shrink, Hyde remains committed to delivering 100% affordable housing on the site - even though the Local Plan policy requirement is only that a minimum of 30% of the homes must be affordable.
The scheme will produce housing for 470 people.
Cllr Steve Neocleous, Adur's cabinet member for regeneration and strategic planning, said:
“Creating affordable and social housing for local people is a priority for us, and using brownfield sites such as the old civic centre plot means we can do this while protecting our beautiful green spaces.
“We've listened to local people throughout this process, and taken on board residents' concerns. I'm pleased to say that we've been able to work with Hyde to create a solution that meets the housing needs of local people whilst saving this much-loved tree.”
Photos: The poplar tree in Brighton Road in Shoreham (next to the Adur Civic Centre site)
(PR23-146)
Page last updated: 18 April 2024