Work to start on new Horsham Enterprise Park at former Novartis site

West Sussex County Council is looking to build 300 new homes, up to 25,000 square metres of employment space and some community facilities on the former Novartis site off Wimblehurst Road.

Outline planning permission for the scheme was secured from Horsham District Council last year.

Cabinet members agreed to seek a development partner and release £4.157m for site enabling works and infrastructure improvements as well as professional services at a meeting today (Tuesday February 18).

Afterwards Jeremy Hunt, cabinet member for finance, said: “The agreement to procure a development partner is a significant step forward for the exciting plans to develop the enterprise park. The park will retain and promote high-value employment in Horsham and the local area and generate a financial return for the council’s investment.”

He explained how negotiations are ongoing with a number of interested parties looking at occupying business space on the site.

The council is targeting a spring 2023 opening date for the first business units. As part of the agreement signed with the planning permission the first 5,000 square metres have to be completed by the time the 150th home is occupied.

A total of £2.7million will be spent on sewerage and early road works, with the remaining funds used on professional services and staff costs.

Although not part of the planning permission, the county council is exploring potential improvements to the Wimblehurst Road/Parsonage Road junction. Mr Hunt said they would be exploring external sources of funding for this work.

Cabinet members welcomed the plans for purpose-built business space as well as new homes in a sustainable location close to Horsham town centre.

Paul Marshall, leader of the council, pointed out that 80 per cent of the commercial space in the Horsham district was built pre-1980.

He said: “Businesses are crying out, they are absolutely desperate for good quality business accommodation and it’s not just in Horsham, this problem exists throughout the whole of the county. If we do not start providing that facility we are having businesses saying to us if they cannot expand they are going to have to move out of the county.

“We need to generate high-value employment and this is an absolute key part of this. What we do not want is this county to be seen as a commuter belt for people commuting to London because they can get higher wages.”

Roger Elkins, cabinet member for highways and infrastructure, added: “What is key is that in many parts of West Sussex we see people having to commute out to the businesses that are providing the accommodation and in this location we have got it centrally in Horsham.”

Labour’s Michael Jones suggested the project had ‘not lived up to its original promise’ of a world-leading science park and described the financial margins as ‘tight’.

In response Mr Hunt said that the theme for the site had changed since it was purchased in 2016 as ‘life and practicalities do get in the way’. He described how the council did not propose to make a loss on the site.

The council said it is committed to ensuring residents and businesses are well informed as the scheme progresses. Dates for community information events in the coming months will be announced.