A multi-million pound plan to revamp a Shoreham yacht club and open up the riverside to the public has been backed by Adur District Council. Sussex Yacht Club (SYC) applied for permission to create a new premises in Brighton Road. The project will see the riverside opened up to the wider public, flood defences improved and lead to the creation of pedestrian and cycle access along the southern section of the A259 coast road for the first time. “These are exciting plans which first and foremost will see a stunning new building created for the members of the Sussex Yacht Club. Committee members were unanimous in the view that the proposal will go beyond a recreational use; it will have a big impact on the wider community too with the improved transport links and new riverside public space a major boost to the area,” said Councillor Carol Albury, chairman of the planning committee. The approved plans are part of a wider project to revamp the Brighton Road site and surrounding area. As part of the project, Adur District Council has been transforming Shoreham Harbour from industrial units into new homes and workspaces with an expansive waterfront promenade. Meanwhile, the Environment Agency has been installing more than seven kilometres of tidal walls defences on the River Adur, reducing the risk of flooding to thousands of residential and business properties in Shoreham and Lancing. “I’m delighted we have been able to work with Sussex Yacht Club, the wider community and partners to bring forward the first stage of this development,” said Councillor Neil Parkin, Leader of Adur District Council. “Not only does it feed into our wider vision of regenerating the harbour arm but it will plug the gap in the flood defences and open up the southern section of the coast road to cyclists and pedestrians. I look forward to seeing construction work progress in the coming months and am certain that, when complete, the project will have a tremendous impact on the thousands of residents and visitors to our district,” he concluded.