Former West Sussex police station has been transformed - 'Working on a plan'

Charitable groups across the Adur district are to be given the chance to set up home in a council-owned building in the heart of Lancing.

Adur District Council said it has worked with flexible office company Freedom Works for more than two years to transform Lancing Police Station into a ‘community, charity and small business space’ in North Road – known as Fabric.

“The council purchased the site in 2021 after the police station closed,” a spokesperson for Adur District Council said.

"It is currently working on a plan for how the site could be regenerated for the community.”

The partnership has seen Freedom Works organise the leasing of workspaces, meeting rooms, hot-desking facilities and event space to local groups to ‘help support’ the community and up-and-coming businesses ‘taking their first steps’.

A council spokesperson added: “Now, Freedom Works is to focus its resources on its other Sussex sites, creating an opportunity for a community group to take on the running of the low-cost, modern facilities to expand their operations ahead of the redevelopment of the site by the council.

"The council is keen to hear from any organisations that think they have the drive, skills and experience to take on the running of the building, which will be available from June.

"That could be one charity or community group that is looking to expand, or a number of groups who might want to work together to develop and provide local services on a short to medium-term basis.”

Fabric is in a central location – yards from the North Road shops and just five minutes on foot from Lancing railway station. There’s also onsite parking, bike storage space and ‘superfast Wi-Fi throughout’.

Steve Neocleous, Adur’s cabinet member for regeneration and strategic planning, said: “Fabric has so much potential to help local groups or businesses to blossom thanks to the work that’s been done by ourselves and Freedom Works over the last couple of years.

“There’s an opportunity here for a community organisation that wants to achieve great things for the people of Lancing, Sompting and Shoreham in particular.”

Freedom Works founder and managing director Jon Trigg said: “We’ve been proud to be involved in creating workspace in Lancing and delivering a proof of concept model of how the public sector can work with the private sector.

“Our ambition now is to ensure the community project continues.”

Anyone interested in taking on the project should email [email protected].