A £100,000 boardwalk on Shoreham beach could finally be completed, filling a 20 metre gap and ending years of disappointment for people who want to walk by the sea.

The 400 metre-long boardwalk, which runs between Ferry Road and Shingle Road, was installed by Adur District Council in 2011 but work drew to a halt when it was found out the short stretch of land adjacent to Old Fort Road was privately owned.

This left a gap which meant people in wheelchairs and parents with buggies cannot use the boardwalk.

Councillor Neil Parkin, leader of Adur District Council, said the situation was “disappointing” and since several petitions have been launched, attracting thousands of signatures, calling for the boardwalk to be completed.

Now, following a meeting of Adur and Worthing councils’ joint strategic committee, the two stretches of boardwalk could finally be linked together.

Up to £25,000 could be spent buying the stretch of land under a Compulsory Purchase Order - although first the council is going to try to buy the land amiably.

Councillor David Simmons, from Adur District Council, said: “We hope to obtain the land without a Compulsory Purchase Order but if necessary such an order will be implemented.

“After a lot of false dawns this is great news. We are in negotiations at the moment and we are talking to the owner of the land about finding a mutual solution.

“The owner has had an independent valuation – we don’t want to say what it was valued at, but we will be having our own valuation so it will be sold at a fair price.

“We are not prepared to wait and wait. This is what most people in Shoreham want.”