A NEW town centre retirement complex has been given the go-ahead.

The Worthing site will consist of 17 one-bedroom and 18 two-bedroom apartments.

Based in Goring Street, the L-shaped retirement site will be designed to accommodate residents over the age of 60 who require limited support to allow them to live a relatively independent life.

Developers McCarthy and Stone’s application to demolish existing occupied and vacant Horton Buildings on the site and construct retirement living apartments was given the green light by Worthing Borough Council’s planning committee.

The new development will boast a communal lounge, garden, guest suite to accommodate visitors, car parking for 27 vehicles and electric vehicle charge points.

Parking will be accessed from Goring Street with five spaces, including one disabled space at the front, and 22 spaces available at the rear, which are accessed from a narrow access drive.

There will also be a mobility scooter and cycle store with charging points for six scooters on the ground-floor, plus a recycling store.

Councillor Nicola Waight, Worthing Executive Member for Regeneration, said: “The need for specialist accommodation for older people has grown significantly in recent years and this is much-needed in Worthing, while also enabling elderly people to remain in the community.

“This is a good example of the redevelopment of an outdated building, providing a new modern facility for our elderly residents wishing to move into this type of accommodation. It will also free up their existing homes, for younger families.”

The development will primarily be built over three storeys with the expectation of one smaller four storey section.

Many of the apartments exceed the government's minimum requirements for size of living space, while all but one ground-floor unit will include its own small patio terrace with all residents having access to a 400sq. metre landscaped and private communal garden.

The current site is identified as a ‘transition zone’ between the new residential development to the north in Bluebell Way and the older, more traditional suburban development to the south.