Purpose

The report concerns the land in
west central Horsham known as Horsham Enterprise Park, acquired by
the County Council for the purpose of enabling a redevelopment of
the site for the benefit of the area and residents.
 
MUSE was
appointed by West Sussex County Council (WSCC) in March 2022 to
develop Horsham Enterprise Park (HEP) for residential and
employment/commercial use.  The terms of
the agreement set out that West Sussex County Council would benefit
from the uplifted land values following the development of the site
by MUSE.  
 
Since the appointment, the
market has changed and, whilst the market for residential
development remains buoyant, the market for high end
office/commercial space has collapsed to a point where there is
little if any demand within Horsham.
 
This report sets out proposals
for the way forward and utilising the part of the site identified
for commercial use for 100% affordable housing thereby bringing
forward the development whilst addressing a recognised housing
need.
 

Decision

The Cabinet Member for Finance and Property
has:
 
(1) 
endorsed the proposal that the County Council proceeds with the
development of the Horsham Enterprise Park site to provide a
commercially viable mix of market and affordable housing subject to
formal planning consent and development appraisal. Appendix A (Part
II) sets out the financial implications of this proposal.

 
(2) 
endorsed the proposal that affordable housing development replaces
the high-end office/commercial space originally identified for
Phase 3; and
 
(3) 
delegated authority to the Assistant Director (Property and Assets)
and the Director of Law and Assurance to conclude and agree any
amendments to the Horsham Enterprise Park Development agreement
necessary to facilitate the proposals set out in this report.