Plans to alter village shopping area spark concerns

Residents of a village in West Sussex have given their views on plans to alter its shopping area.

Adur District Council has proposed closing the North Farm Road junction in Lancing and replacing it with a pocket park as part of an investment to regenerate the area.

Lancing resident Tony Townsend said that it was a "daft idea" and a "waste of money".

Councillor Becky Allinson said that the local authority wanted to make the area "more inviting so that more people will want to spend time there, which will in turn encourage investment from more businesses that the community needs".

"This is a great opportunity," Allinson added.

Val Cartwright told BBC Radio Sussex that she disagreed with the plans as she worried it would cut off access for vehicles.

Her husband Terry added that it may harm business in the area.

"People with cars will say, 'I am not going'. People don't want to walk so they won't come," he said.

"Changes are not always good."

He added: "Our high street needs some decent shops."

Adur District Council said that residents and businesses had said that they wanted improved lighting at the junction, as well as additional seating, which it added "has been taken on board".

The proposed pocket park will feature trees and planting to "make the area greener and more attractive for the community", it added.

Deborah Butcher and Leanne Maynard, who co-own The Village Florist, said that they understood the need to make the area more pedestrian-friendly.

"Safety is paramount," they said.

The pair added that they hoped the planned closure would not stop people from coming to the town.

Originally the plans also involved narrowing the entrance to Penstone Park and making it one-way, away from North Road.

The local authority said that a key concern that residents raised in a previous consultation was that this could mean more lorries and large vans driving along Annweir Avenue.

The councils agreed to remove that option.

Adur District Council has opened a public consultation into the plans, which runs until 19 July.

Council staff are also running drop-in sessions during June where residents can have their say.

They will take place at Lancing Parish Council and in South Street on 12 June, in Queens Parade and at Lancing Station on 16 June, and at Lancing Beach Green on 23 June.

Follow BBC Sussex on Facebook, X, and Instagram and listen to BBC Radio Sussex on Sounds. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@bbc.co.uk or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250.