Old Salts Farm, Lancing
New community farm in Lancing
Welcome to our dedicated webpage where you can find out more about the plans to turn land at Old Salts Farm in Lancing into a community farm.
What's being proposed?
A large disused patch of land on Old Salts Farm Road in Lancing is set to be transformed into a vibrant, inclusive and accessible space for residents from the local community to connect with nature and learn new skills.
Photo: the land at Old Salts Farm as it currently looks
The land is owned by Adur District Council and was previously home to Riverside Equestrian Centre, but has been empty since the lease came to an end in 2024 and the tenant opted not to take a new lease.
Photo: the old stable buildings
Since then, we have carried out an open expression of interest process to identify a new community tenant to bring the site back into use for the benefit of the community.
We are pleased to announce that community interest company Apron Creative has been appointed to transform the space into a community farm, subject to lease agreements and planning permission.
Apron Community Farm, as it will be known, will become a space where the local community can connect with each other to grow food and learn new skills in a natural setting.
The project is expected to take five years to fully develop and Apron will be working with the community to develop the site. Initial ideas include regenerative farming features such as a market garden and orchard, as well as sites for wellbeing and therapy sessions, an educational space, an area for a children's forest school, ponds and workshop spaces for traditional craftspeople to share their skills.
Photos: children planting trees and sowing seeds at the Apron Community Garden, Buckingham Park, Shoreham-by-Sea
Working in partnership with a range of local organisations, including the Ouse and Adur Rivers Trust, Apron Creative will create a biodiverse wetland habitat to mitigate local flood risk. The phased plan also includes establishing a community garden, orchard, and market garden, providing new volunteering and learning opportunities for local residents.
Apron has been working with local architecture firm ECE Architecture on the design for the farm, and plans to repurpose the existing derelict buildings on the site, subject to planning permission.
Lis Long, the founder of Apron Creative, said:
“The community farm project is the latest step in our journey, all with the aim of creating vibrant, inclusive green spaces where people from all walks of life can come together and thrive alongside nature.
“We're boosting biodiversity and natural ecosystems, supporting people in the community and providing opportunities for people to share and learn new skills, whether that's in gardening, or traditional crafts that are in danger of being lost.”
Where is Old Salts Farm?
The land known as Old Salts Farm is located by Old Salts Farm Road in Lancing. In total, the site is approximately four acres, which is the equivalent of a little over two football pitches.
Adur District Council is the owner of the land, which was leased most recently by Riverside Equestrian Centre.
The site has a rich past, and was historically used for salt farming and then market gardening up until the middle of the 20th century.
What is Apron Creative CIC?
Apron Creative is a grassroots community interest company (CIC) set up by Lis Long, a mother of two from Shoreham. Starting out with small-scale community arts and crafts workshops, Apron has since established a thriving community garden based at Buckingham Park that provides local residents, schools, groups, and food banks with fresh, healthy produce and a space to get creative in nature.
The organisation also hosts events like the annual Shoreham Light Parade and participates in initiatives such as Sussex Craft Week.
To find out more about Apron's inclusive community sessions, workshops, events, and volunteering opportunities, see:
How will the project be funded?
The project has so far been funded via small grants from Sussex-based funder The Pearce Foundation and our Kitchen Table programme in partnership with Funding People, but given the scale of the development, Apron has also launched a Crowdfunder campaign to generate more support.
To find out more about the Crowdfunder campaign, please visit:
Engaging with the community
We recently held a community information session with Apron Creative CIC for local residents to learn more about the site. At this session, we explained the selection process, shared the vision for the site and outlined how residents can get involved. There was time for questions and discussion, with an invitation to ask more questions as the project progresses.
Over the past year Apron Creative has also carried out a series of community engagement sessions across Lancing, with Electric Storm Youth, Seaside Primary School, Adur Voluntary Action and Lancing Parish Council. Having helped Lancing Community Garden create their new site on Orient Road, Apron has also shared skills and experience in permaculture design and gardening to support the local community.
Photo: Apron's community engagement event at Seaside Primary School
Page last updated: 06 November 2025