Practical proposed steps for Adur.
The stages explain what should happen first. They are not promised completion dates. Funding, powers and ongoing costs need to be established before a proposal is adopted.
Proposal
Use the existing flood partnership
Several public bodies are working on the Shoreham wall.
Coordinated land, drainage and access decisions can avoid gaps.
Evidence
Who could lead: Adur District Council.
- Start now
Publish each partner’s responsibility and the construction sequence.
- Over the next few years
Check how the wall meets neighbouring defences and access routes.
- Over the longer term
Maintain and test the completed system.
How to judge progress
Starting point: August 2026 preparation update.
Measure: Verified construction, maintenance and residual risk.
Trade-off: Defences reduce risk but cannot remove all flooding.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Shoreham town-centre flood defences →
Proposal
Make safe homes available to waiting tenants
The Albion Street homes could not be occupied because of defects.
A completed building is not the same as a usable home.
Evidence
Who could lead: Adur District Council.
- Start now
Give affected households clear options and repair updates.
- Over the next few years
Publish the repair plan and independently verify safety before occupation.
- Over the longer term
Review defects, costs and tenant experience after handover.
How to judge progress
Starting point: July 2026 defects investigation.
Measure: Safe homes occupied, repair cost and repeat faults.
Trade-off: Speed must not replace independent technical checks.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Repairing the new Albion Street homes →
Proposal
Secure a workable future for the pavilion
Buckingham Park has consent for improved facilities but needs a partner.
A sound operating plan matters as much as the building.
Evidence
Who could lead: Adur District Council.
- Start now
Explain the minimum accessible facilities and community access terms.
- Over the next few years
Assess partner proposals on running costs as well as construction.
- Over the longer term
Measure use, affordability and maintenance after opening.
How to judge progress
Starting point: July 2026 invitation.
Measure: Accessible facilities, opening hours and affordable use.
Trade-off: Commercial income may conflict with low-cost community access.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Buckingham Park southern pavilion →
Proposal
Do not repeat poor construction handovers
The Albion Street investigation reports substantial defects.
Future projects need checks before the council accepts liability.
Evidence 1 · Evidence 2
Who could lead: Adur District Council.
- Start now
Publish lessons once the investigation establishes them.
- Over the next few years
Use staged independent inspections and clear defect responsibilities.
- Over the longer term
Track long-term repair liabilities across new assets.
How to judge progress
Starting point: July 2026 engineering investigation.
Measure: Unresolved defects and whole-life maintenance cost.
Trade-off: Extra assurance costs money but can prevent larger failures.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Repairing the new Albion Street homes →
Buckingham Park southern pavilion →
Proposal
Make room for homes people can afford
Average private rent is £1,410 a month (August 2026) in Adur council area. This is £49 lower than the England average for the same month. Homes rented privately ranged from 8.5% in Hillside to 20.9% in Southwick Green — a gap of 12.4 percentage points.
Housing costs matter most alongside earnings and the number of affordable homes available. A local average cannot tell us whether a particular household can afford its home.
Who could lead: The housing and planning authorities, housing associations and developers.
- Start now
Publish the local waiting list, temporary accommodation and affordable-home delivery figures together. Start by checking the different needs in Southwick Green and Hillside; census differences are not proof of unmet demand.
- Over the next few years
Test proposed housing sites against affordable-home need, access to work, school places and water capacity.
- Over the longer term
Check whether completed homes reduce unmet need, rather than counting planning permissions as delivery.
How to judge progress
Starting point: Average private rent is £1,410 a month (August 2026) in Adur council area. Homes rented privately ranged from 8.5% in Hillside to 20.9% in Southwick Green — a gap of 12.4 percentage points. 21 March 2021; 14 of 14 current wards have comparable figures.
Measure: Affordable homes completed, households waiting, time in temporary accommodation, and rent compared with local earnings.
Trade-off: More homes can put pressure on infrastructure and land. Affordability requirements also affect development viability.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Evidence: Average monthly rent →
Evidence: Average home price →
Repairing the new Albion Street homes →
Proposal
Plan homes and care around an older population
23.6% of people in Adur council area were aged 65 or over (21 March 2021). People aged 65 or over ranged from 16.9% in Eastbrook to 29.7% in St Nicolas — a gap of 12.7 percentage points.
Age alone does not mean poor health or a need for care. Accessible homes, reliable transport and support close to home matter as people get older.
Who could lead: Adult social care, local health services, housing providers and transport authorities.
- Start now
Compare the location of older residents with access to care, shops and transport. Start by checking the different needs in St Nicolas and Eastbrook; census differences are not proof of unmet demand.
- Over the next few years
Prioritise home adaptations and care capacity in places with the clearest unmet need.
- Over the longer term
Build accessible homes and joined-up care into local development plans.
How to judge progress
Starting point: 23.6% aged 65 or over; 21 March 2021. People aged 65 or over ranged from 16.9% in Eastbrook to 29.7% in St Nicolas — a gap of 12.7 percentage points. 21 March 2021; 14 of 14 current wards have comparable figures.
Measure: Waits for home adaptations and care, avoidable hospital stays, and accessible homes delivered.
Trade-off: Services need skilled staff and ongoing funding. Age profiles alone cannot measure unmet care need.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Evidence: People aged 65 or over →
Proposal
Bring support closer to people in poor health
5.6% of people reported bad or very bad health in Adur council area (21 March 2021). Across England, the figure was 5.2%. People reporting bad or very bad health ranged from 3.3% in Buckingham to 7.4% in Peverel — a gap of 4.2 percentage points.
This is how residents described their health in the census. It can reveal differences between neighbourhoods, but does not diagnose illness or measure current waiting times. Age profiles differ between places, so these shares do not measure service quality.
Who could lead: Local health services, public health teams, employers and community organisations.
- Start now
Use neighbourhood evidence to find where poor health and barriers to services overlap. Start by checking the different needs in Peverel and Buckingham; census differences are not proof of unmet demand.
- Over the next few years
Test accessible local support and publish who is reached and who is missed.
- Over the longer term
Review whether health gaps narrow, alongside housing and employment improvements.
How to judge progress
Starting point: 5.6% reporting bad or very bad health; 21 March 2021. People reporting bad or very bad health ranged from 3.3% in Buckingham to 7.4% in Peverel — a gap of 4.2 percentage points. 21 March 2021; 14 of 14 current wards have comparable figures.
Measure: Access to services and the health gap between neighbourhoods, using comparable age-adjusted measures when available.
Trade-off: A census snapshot is dated. New service decisions also need current needs assessments and residents’ experience.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Evidence: People reporting bad or very bad health →
Proposal
Connect local skills to local opportunities
27.9% of people aged 16 or over had a degree or equivalent (21 March 2021) in Adur council area. Across England, the figure was 33.9%. People aged 16+ with no qualifications ranged from 11.2% in Marine to 24.4% in Southlands — a gap of 13.2 percentage points.
Qualifications show one part of the skills available locally. They do not show whether people have secure jobs or work that uses those skills.
Who could lead: Employers, colleges, universities and the relevant skills authority.
- Start now
Compare vacancies and employer needs with training available to local residents. Start by checking the different needs in Southlands and Marine; census differences are not proof of unmet demand.
- Over the next few years
Link training to real jobs, including routes for people without formal qualifications.
- Over the longer term
Track sustained employment and earnings after training, not just course starts.
How to judge progress
Starting point: 27.9% with a degree or equivalent; 21 March 2021. People aged 16+ with no qualifications ranged from 11.2% in Marine to 24.4% in Southlands — a gap of 13.2 percentage points. 21 March 2021; 14 of 14 current wards have comparable figures.
Measure: Sustained jobs, earnings and training completion for residents who face barriers to work.
Trade-off: Training takes time and cannot create demand for jobs on its own. Qualifications are not a complete measure of ability.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Evidence: People aged 16+ with a degree or equivalent →
Evidence: People aged 16+ with no qualifications →
Proposal
Target safety work where problems repeat
Mapped police records are available for neighbourhoods in Adur council area.
Published locations are approximate and some crimes are not mapped. Counts show recorded incidents, not the chance of an individual becoming a victim.
Who could lead: The local police force, council community safety team and relevant services.
- Start now
Check recurring places and categories alongside local police priorities and residents’ reports.
- Over the next few years
Test focused prevention and support, with a comparison period agreed before the work starts.
- Over the longer term
Publish whether problems fall, move elsewhere or return, and adjust the response.
How to judge progress
Crime evidence and coverage →
Starting point: Use the dated, complete periods shown in Crime and safety; keep anti-social behaviour separate.
Measure: Comparable recorded incidents, repeat victimisation and residents’ reported experience; never a single crude league table.
Trade-off: More reporting can increase recorded crime. Enforcement and support may work differently for different problems.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Shoreham town-centre flood defences →
Proposal
Turn published plans into visible progress
3 named local projects or plans have official evidence in this collection.
A published plan makes responsibilities and intentions easier to inspect. It does not prove that funding is secured or that promised benefits have arrived.
Who could lead: The named project owners and council scrutiny bodies.
- Start now
Put the scope, owner, funding position and next milestone in one public place.
- Over the next few years
Report delivery against the agreed scope and explain delays or changes.
- Over the longer term
Check the benefits residents actually receive after completion.
How to judge progress
Starting point: The dated stages in Projects; unknown costs and funding remain unknown.
Measure: Milestones met, costs against the approved budget, and measured outcomes after delivery.
Trade-off: Delivery reporting takes staff time, but a launch announcement alone cannot show value for money.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Repairing the new Albion Street homes →
Shoreham town-centre flood defences →
Buckingham Park southern pavilion →
Proposal
Target support where disadvantages overlap
Households facing two or more measured disadvantages ranged from 10.8% in Buckingham to 27.1% in Southlands — a gap of 16.3 percentage points.
These households met at least two census conditions covering education, employment, health and housing. This is not an income or poverty measure.
Who could lead: The council's housing, public health and employment teams, with local services.
- Start now
Check current advice and support access in Southlands, using the census pattern as a starting point and asking residents what is missing.
- Over the next few years
Test joined-up housing, work and health support, and publish who takes part, who cannot reach it and what changes.
- Over the longer term
Track sustained outcomes and whether gaps between neighbourhoods narrow, using comparable dates and measures.
How to judge progress
Starting point: Households facing two or more measured disadvantages ranged from 10.8% in Buckingham to 27.1% in Southlands — a gap of 16.3 percentage points. 21 March 2021; 14 of 14 wards.
Measure: Access to support, unresolved housing problems and sustained work or health outcomes. Census percentages alone cannot measure a new programme's success.
Trade-off: Targeting neighbourhoods can miss people in need elsewhere. Avoid labelling every resident by the average for their ward.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Evidence: Households facing two or more measured disadvantages →
Repairing the new Albion Street homes →
Buckingham Park southern pavilion →
