Lancing Scouts warehouse rebuild plans approved

The plans to replace the existing Scout Association warehouse and offices on Marlborough Road, Lancing Business Park, were approved by the council’s planning committee at its meeting on Monday, March 4.

Planners for the Scouts, Lewis and Co Planning, told the committee less than 50 per cent of the existing warehouse was usable due to the age and condition of the building, saying they also wanted to unite the offices and storage/distribution warehouse under one roof.

They said the new warehouse would help increase the Scout Association’s profits by around £4 to £5 million a year, and help reach their target of net zero by 2030 by installing 220 solar panels on the roof of the new warehouse.

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Asbestos concerns and the cost of maintaining health and safety standards in the 1970s building were more reasons cited in the plans for replacing the warehouse.

The plans would see the car park moved from the back of the site to the front, away from the business park’s residential neighbours, and will be turned into a green space with seating areas for staff.

This will mean a reduction of eight spaces to 15 in total for the new car park, which planners stated according to a traffic survey would be the most the site would ever need at one time.

Lancing Business Park objected to the plans due to the loss of parking spaces, with West Sussex County Council Highways requiring the Scout Association to develop a travel plan and pay an enforcement fee of £3,500 for the site.