Demolition work starts at Littlehampton’s ‘biggest eyesore’

Work has started on the old indoor market site, in Surrey Street, and developers have made short work of ripping down parts of the dilapidated structure, which has sat empty for almost a decade. In its place, housing association Hyde Martlet is to build 52 new homes and two shops.

Simon Vickers, chairman of Littlehampton Traders’ Partnership, said: “Any redevelopment of the town centre is a positive, and anyone who is prepared to spend money building properties in Littlehampton is going to encourage the town to prosper further.

“The recession has been difficult, but the town has weathered the storm better than a lot of other places, and while we are not out of it yet, signs like this show the positives.”

Residents and councillors alike have been calling for the Surrey Street site, which sits in the middle of the town centre, and has been branded an “eyesore” by many shoppers, to be redeveloped for some time.

Mr Vickers noted the redevelopment was coupled with other changes in the town centre, over the last year, including the moving in of big brands, including Iceland, Lidl and Costa, and, more recently, WH Smith, Holland and Barrett and The Card Factory.

A planning application has also been submitted, to Arun District Council, to convert the YMCA charity shop, in the High Street, into a Greggs bakery.

“The investment from multi-nationals is very encouraging, and all interest from companies like that is a big boost. I think anyone who opposes that is being short-sighted.

“It certainly isn’t going to do the town any harm.

“The arrival of big companies is bringing more people into the town, and has to be a benefit to Littlehampton. The more investment, the more confidence in the town, and the more room independents have to set up.”

Almost two years ago, Arun’s development control committee threw out the indoor market plans, to build 24 one-bedroom, 18 two-bedroom and six three-bedroom flats, and two two-bedroom and one three-bedroom houses, in a mix of two, three, four and five-storey buildings, branding the complex “hideous”, and the amount of retail space being proposed “inadequate”.

However, Hyde Martlet went to appeal over the decision and a planning inspector subsequently overturned Arun’s ruling, describing the council’s reasons for refusal as “subjective”, “generalised” and “non-specific”.