People have been left frustrated after a new housing development expected to be completed this month has been delayed until summer.

The completion date for the Free Wharf 21 site on the A259 in Brighton Road, Shoreham, was expected to welcome new residents within the coming weeks, however this has now been delayed by at least two months.

Southern Housing, which owns the development, said this is because of a number of "challenges".

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A spokesman for Southern Housing said: "We’ve experienced a delay at our Free Wharf development due to challenges affecting the entire construction industry.

"This includes labour shortages, availability of materials and the installation of utilities.

"We understand it’s frustrating for residents waiting to move in and we’re sorry for any inconvenience the delay has caused.

"Our teams are regularly on site and working closely with the contractor to manage and monitor the build programme.

"We expect homes to be ready by summer 2024. We’ve kept all buyers informed and we’ll continue to keep them updated."

The development had originally held an open day last month for the new shared ownership properties.

The open day came a month after complaints had been made by the community about the development and a whistling sound believed to have been caused by the new buildings.

However, Southern Housing said it did not believe it was the development causing this.

A spokesman for the company said at the time: "Our sites are registered with the Considerate Constructors Scheme and we always adhere to strict building regulations.

"This includes regulations surrounding noise level conditions, to minimise disruption to the local community.

"We would urge anybody who would like to raise a concern about our site to get in touch with us directly."

The Argus understands that the current move in delay has resulted in some people reconsidering the new build flats as a potential home.

Six properties at the site are still available to purchase through the shared ownership scheme with a 25 per cent share.