Five hundred new jobs could be created under the first phase of the redevelopment of Shoreham Harbour.

Business and storage units would be built on Port Authority land on the north canal bank of the harbour.

The number of jobs generated by the new business park, to be known as Port Shoreham North Bank Enterprise Village, is expected to rise to 785 when a new tunnel or road linking the harbour to the A27 is built.

In the meantime, an access road onto the A259 would be provided at its junction with The Gardens, Southwick.

Adur District Council's planning committee is being recommended to give conditional renewal of outline planning permission for the project previously granted in 1992, when it meets tonight.

The move will pave the way for more detailed plans to be submitted on the layout and appearance of the buildings on the site in the next few months.

It follows a commitment by port authority chief executive Brian Tatterton that work would start on regenerating the harbour within twelve months.

He told The Argus: "There are schemes which will begin to get off the ground within 12 months.

"We will redevelop Lady Bee Marina to provide a mix of business and leisure facilities. The first thing you will see is new berths for the Customs boats which are moored by the power station at the moment.

"They need an accessible jetty so they can get in and out of the harbour easily.

"That will be followed by business units on the canal bank and dry boat storage facilities for yachtsmen at Lady Bee. We have a waiting list of businesses wanting to start up in the harbour."

The new business park would also include parking for 305 cars and 12 lorries, sparking concerns from nearby residents and businesses about the increase of traffic on the already busy A259.

They fear the new junction would be dangerous and would encourage "rat-running" by vehicles cutting through residential streets.

The new access road would either be built by using landfill to create an embankment, or on supporting concrete pillars.