More than 200 homes and a town square with a purpose-built community centre are planned for Shoreham's derelict Ropetackle site.

Adur District Council has received an outline planning application including 220 homes, business units and a town square with a new community centre for the controversial waterfront site.

Ropetackle, on the east bank of the River Adur, has been an eyesore for 35 years. The South East England Development Agency bought it in January last year and earmarked it for a £20 million redevelopment as part of the Shoreham Harbour regeneration scheme.

At the heart of the latest plans, submitted by Seeda and developer Berkeley Homes, is a new town square linked to a series of public open spaces, together with a new riverside walk.

Phil Dibsdale, senior development manager with Seeda, said: "What we are looking to achieve is an area that will become part of Shoreham but have its own sense of identity, a place in which the people of Shoreham will spend time and feel proud."

The new plans follow an earlier outline planning permission granted to Seeda for land formerly owned by the district council. However, the plans now include adjoining, privately owned land with a comprehensive layout scheme for the larger area.

If planning permission is granted, a detailed application would follow which would be the subject of another round of public consultation.