Worthing plans for 21 flats for homeless people approved

Worthing Borough Council’s Planning Committee unanimously supported a Worthing Homes scheme which will see new homeless accommodation built.

Worthing Homes will partner with homeless charity Turning Tides to deliver 21 flats at Skywaves House in Ivy Arch Road.

The building will be demolished to make way for the purpose-built accommodation and office space to be used by around 20 council and Turning Tides employees.

Between 2020 and 2021 the charity had 459 new clients and chief executive John Holmstrom said rates of single homelessness are the worst he has seen in his nearly 40 years in the sector.

“We have 176 single people in temporary accommodation which is nearly three times the number three years ago,” he told the Planning Committee on Wednesday (22 June). 

Proposals For Skywaves House, Ivy Arch Road 2

“And we have 133 units of supported housing in Worthing – we are all full.

“This will give us a purpose-built, multi-agency hub which we think is going to be needed in the longer term.

“My hope is that we become less dependent on inadequate shared accommodation, tired buildings, and council temporary accommodation.”

Officers were concerned that the flats do not meet national space standards.

But they recognised that they will only be a temporary solution, with residents eventually moving on to more permanent housing.

READ MORE: Worthing motorist overturns driving ban

Andy Whight (Lab, Marine) expressed concerns that this could affect residents’ wellbeing.

But Mr Holmstrom said that the new flats would be ‘quite luxurious’ when compared to other temporary accommodation.

Mr Holmstrom also gave assurances that the building would be needed long term and therefore there is little risk of it being converted into general use flats for rent or sale.

The loss of the building as an employment space was also considered acceptable by council officers as accommodation is much-needed.

The committee also heard that Skywaves House had been on the market for more than five years ‘with little commercial interest’.

Concerns about anti-social behaviour and drug dealing in the area were also raised by both residents and police.

One resident, who recently bought a property adjacent to Skywaves House, said: “Working within the NHS, I recognise the need for emergency and social housing.

“But I have first-hand experience working with these types of clients who I know can be difficult and challenging and knowing that they will be directly overlooking my garden concerns me and my partner.”

WBC recognised anti-social behaviour as a ‘real and understandable concern’ and Turning Tides has committed to providing CCTV and a 24-hour staff presence.

John Turley (Lab, Gaisford) asked if further CCTV could be provided around the development and planning officers confirmed that they could look into this.

WBC’s head of planning now has permission to approve the development subject to an agreement on developer contributions and ironing out some drainage issues.

More details can be found at the council’s planning portal using reference: AWDM/0207/22.