Construction milestone for housing development in Shoreham - Take a look inside

In what was described as a 'groundbreaking event', Southern Housing Group started redevelopment works at The Mannings on Surry Street in March 2022.

Forty town-centre flats have been demolished to make way for a new 74-home development.

Construction and development company Real ‘topped out’ last Wednesday (July 5). Real joined together with Southern Housing and local councillors, Catherine Arnold, Jeremy Gardner and Steve Neocleous to ‘celebrate this latest milestone’.

They had a tour of the project – ‘which will be ready for residents early next year’.

In keeping with the centuries-old tradition of topping out, a yew tree branch was placed at the highest point of the building by Real CEO Paul Nicholls.

Paul said: “It is great to be topping out on a local scheme for a great client, Southern Housing, who has worked with us through difficult economic times to make fantastic progress. We are now one step closer to delivering much-needed affordable housing in Shoreham using local workers and supply-chain to create a sustainable community, and we couldn’t be prouder.”

Real was appointed in September 2021, as the partner of choice for The Mannings by Southern Housing – ‘as well as a selection of residents’.

Described as a ‘great collaborative relationship’, local people were kept ‘at the heart of the project’, with developers consulting them on the design, construction and materials used.

Cathy Bacon, head of delivery and regeneration at Southern Housing said this development has been a ‘great example of involving residents in the co-creation of our services’.

She added: “By working with the existing residents through the design and development process, through the selection of our contractor, and then throughout the construction we believe we’ll create a thriving new community that Adur can be proud of.”

Comprising one to three-bedroom apartments, these new homes will be a mix of social rent and shared ownership tenures – ‘creating a vibrant community’ that ‘accommodates the varying needs of the local area’, the developers said.

A spokesperson added: “The project is set to provide the area with a new lease of life, replacing the former 40-apartment building, which dated back to the early 1980s, with 74 new high-quality affordable homes fit for the modern living.

"Comprising one to three-bedroom apartments, these new homes will be a mix of Social Rent and Shared Ownership tenures, creating a vibrant community that accommodates the varying needs of the local area.

"The project is designed to put resident wellbeing first, featuring private outdoor areas and 86 new bicycle spaces to promote active and sustainable travel.”

A number of residents from the former 1980s building have been temporarily re-housed, with many set to return to the new development.

The Mannings has been designed and built to include carbon saving measures including air-source heat pumps and heat recovery ventilation. This will all contribute to reduced carbon emissions, as well as a significant reduction in costs to the residents.

Catherine Arnold, Adur’s Labour councillor for St Mary's ward, said: “Community engagement has been key in the creation of these affordable, sustainable homes. We can see it’s going to be a step change for the local area, and we look forward to the project’s completion.”

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