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Conservation awards mark Shoreham
Society's first 25 |
Updated Jan 12)
Despite local protests, the trust has
decided that orthopaedic and
other inpatient services will move to Worthing Hospital, and Southlands
will concentrate on diagnosis and outpatient services.
Campaigners
say their concerns have not been heeded, particularly in relation to
care of the elderly and rehabilitation. They are also worried about
care in the community and transport. A petition to the NHS trust
included suggestions for possible services to be provided at
Southlands.
Campaigner Heather Duffield, who is a member of the Shoreham Society committee, said: "Southlands has supported the health needs of patients over a wide area for many years and needs to continue as a community hospital with a minor injuries unit."
(Updated Jan 12)
Work could start soon on replacing the Shoreham Beach footbridge. Planning permission has been given for the proposal, following important design improvements achieved by the Shoreham Society.
After concerted pressure from the society, West Sussex County Council is including a glass ballustrade to provide weather protection to bridge users without blocking the views. Smaller steel-encased supports are also now incorporated to provide a neater design as urged by the society.
Society campaigners called for a re-think on the original proposal after an expert independent study commissioned by the society raised serious doubts about the design, cost projections and technical aspects of the bridge.
A survey by the society among local residents showed that weather protection, visibility and attractive design were very important to them.
The appearance of the new bridge was important or very important to 97 per cent of the residents who filled in questionnaires. A similar number also felt it important to have a good view from the bridge.
A very substantial majority expressed concern over crime or anti-social behaviour on the bridge, and four out of five wanted good protection from the weather.<
Society chairman Gerard Rosenberg said: "Although not meeting all the concerns, the improvements represent a major success for the society and the local residents."
(Updated Jan 23)
New proposals have been submitted for the old Norfolk House site off Shoreham High Street, with housing replacing an earlier plan for a 72-bedroom hotel.
Adur council had given permission for the hotel, but developers
doubted it was a viable proposition and the idea was dropped.
A new proposal has now been put forward to convert the old
government office block into eight three-bedroomed houses. These would
form a flat-roofed four-storey terrace.
The site would also have a three-bedroom detached house at the eastern end of the terrace, and the garage block at the western end would be converted to offices.
The proposal provides for 23 car parking spaces and 10 cycle spaces.
Details are on the Adur Council website.
(Updated Nov 10)
New planning guidelines for Shoreham Harbour have confirmed that the number of new houses there will be around 2,000 - a fifth of the number originally suggested.
Proposals for transport improvements in the area are being progressed but economic constraints and the ending of regional housing targets have influenced the timing and extent of housing development.
Adur Council has updated its planning guidance for the harbour on the basis of 2,000 homes and a range of commercial and leisure facilities.
Some environmentalists welcome the emphasis on sustainable development, but others are dismayed at what they fear will still be overdevelopment in an already overcrowded region.
And for Adur generally ...
The tension between meeting housing demand and limiting harmful overdevelopment is also a key factor in the Adur Core Plan, which is moving to a further stage of consultation.
Of four options suggested in an earlier public survey, the ones with the least and the most amount of new housing have been dropped, leaving the two more moderate options. But they still represent either 1,785 or 2,635 new homes in Adur by 2028 - a rate of development bound to be controversial.
(Updated Oct 20)
A historic feature of Shoreham has been saved - by being moved up north. The distinctive iron construction which formed the roof over the entrance of The Vinery on the corner of St Mary's Road and Brunswick Road has been adopted by the Beamish Museum in County Durham.
Its 11th-hour rescue from almost certain destruction means that although it will no longer be in Shoreham, this important structure now has a chance of being restored and made publicly accessible. The museum has promised to keep it in stafe storage until a suitable project is found for restoring and incorporating it.
When it was removed during redevelopment of the site in 1987 it seemed likely it would be broken up, but the Shoreham Society was anxious to see it preserved and made various temporary arrangements for its storage.
The society's lead campaigner for the Vinery roof, Chris Harris, suggested several uses for it, including incorporation into local redevelopment projects, but the ideas were not taken up. In recent years it was kept in the disused Parcel Force building, but it was turned out when new proposals for that site were progressed.
As it deteriorated further, hopes faded for its survival despite frantic efforts to find a new home. It was finally brought to the attention of the Beamish museum, which recognised its importance as a very rare example of canopy techniques pre-dating the Crystal Palace.
"It's fantastic news that this important structure is being saved," said Chris, who has fought tenaciously for its survival over the years. "This is a great success story for the Shoreham Society."
More information about the Vinery is on the website www.shorehambysea.com/the-vinery.html
(Updated Sept 15)
Shoreham's Civic Centre is up for sale. It has been put on the market through specialist agents.
The plan is to sell the centre and its car park for redevelopment, moving the Adur Council staff to smaller offices elsewhere. Increased sharing of service and administration with neighbouring Worthing Council has brought a reduced need for office space.
Several charities are also based at the centre, and there is concern about how and where these will be re-housed when the building is sold.
Strong interest in the site is expected from developers. The site has potential for retail, commercial and residential use.
(Updated June 23)
A campaign to restore the decaying 19th Century Shoreham Fort is is gaining support and making progress.
The Friends of Shoreham Fort are running a fundraising campaign and the Shoreham Port Authority, which owns the land, says it is keen to see the monument safeguarded.
The fort at the eastern end of Shoreham Beach is in serious disrepair and experts have warned that the ancient structure is in danger of collapse unless urgent work is carried out.
Click here for more information about the fort and the campaign to save it.
(Updated Jan 20)
The Shoreham Society is continuing to monitor proposals for redeveloping the Pond Road area in Shoreham. In Autumn 2010 Adur Council issued a new brief for the redevelopment of this key central area following widespread concerns about earlier proposals.
The new plans envisage retaining the existing community centre, building new public facilities including a health centre on the Burrscroft site, and replacing the existing health centre and library with housing. The amount of housing proposed is considerably less than in the earlier plans which involved demolishing the community centre.
The Shoreham Society challenged the original proposals on several grounds, including:
The society was also critical of several design aspects, and put forward alternative suggestions offering major advantages. Society experts are monitoring the situation.
(Updated Feb 13)