ADUR’s district council is committed to finding a suitable replacement for Ikea at the New Monks Farm site after the retailer pulled out of development earlier this month.
Conservative adviser Brian Boggis, executive member of Regeneration, also described discussions with the company over the future use of the site at a plenary meeting last Thursday.
He was responding to a question from union adviser Sharon Sluman who asked: “With the release of Ikea and the development of the agreed fourth arm, what will this council do to encourage a sustainable and green company to take over this land?” to compensate for damage to our local environment and pressure on infrastructure while adding value to the local community? ”
Cllr Boggis said Ikea’s decision to withdraw from the site this month “came as a shock to everyone” and that he had worked “very hard” to get planning approval for the site. retailer since 2016.
Now Cllr Boggis said the board is committed to finding a “lasting” replacement for the world-renowned flatbed furniture retailer.
He said: “Unfortunately there were delays on the delays and then we suffered from Covid and of course the whole retail system, the whole retail environment if you will have changed. .
“I think now that, frankly, we have a chance to revisit the decision that was made in 2018 and say ‘well, that was then, but is it now? “.”
Cllr Boggis explained that negotiations with Ikea are underway to ensure they sell the land to a suitable bidder.
Development work continues despite Ikea’s withdrawal
He also said he was assured that the fourth leg of the new A27 roundabout to Coombes Road and other infrastructure needed for real estate development at New Monks Park (formerly New Monks Farm) was continuing, with road improvements. “starting very soon”.
Regarding the future of the site, Cllr Boggis said he wanted to create jobs in the area.
He said, “We will look for the best that we can achieve for this site. My personal preference is that it remains a job site and hopefully high paying high tech jobs and green jobs.
Cllr Boggis acknowledged the “infrastructure pressures” from the new development, but said the council is committed to ensuring that the environment is preserved “in the best possible way”.
He added: “We seek as a board to ensure that our environment is maintained in the best possible way. You only have to look at the country park that has been installed there.
Cllr Sluman said it was “unclear” how the board would find a sustainable buyer to take Ikea’s place, but Cllr Boggis insisted the board would have the final say.
He said: “We are in negotiations with Ikea to make sure they understand our preferences for the business.
“We are the planning authority and we will or will not give clearances for the appropriate or inappropriate proposals that come to us and that is exactly what we will continue to do.”
Work had already started on the site when Ikea announced its withdrawal
He added that he was “fairly sure” that the Ikea site would soon have a new name.
The building permit for the retailer to build a store on the site, as well as a new 600-unit housing estate, an elementary school and a roundabout, were approved in October 2018.
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Source: www.theargus.co.uk
This notice was published: 2021-07-27 15:46:58
