New IKEA may open in Lancing

A new IKEA store may be opening up in Lancing, if development proposals fronted by Brighton and Hove Albion get the go-ahead.

The Swedish flatpack furniture giant aims to set up a new store on the former landfill site at New Monks Farm, as part of a development which includes 600 new homes, a community centre, and a new school. It has been claimed that the development could create hundreds of new jobs.

The development is being headed by New Monks Farm Development Company, a subsidiary of Brighton and Hove Albion, who will be holding a public exhibition of the proposal next weekend, before submitting a planning application.

The proposed site is around a 25 minute drive from the center of Brighton, which is a considerably shorter distance than the city’s current closest IKEA in Croydon, over an hours drive away.

Tim Farlham, real estate manager for IKEA, said “This site presents a great opportunity, given its scale, accessibility and location. A new store here would provide people from the greater Brighton area with relevant home furnishing solutions and will create local jobs.”

Not everyone is happy with the proposals however, with concerns about building on a flood plain. Bill Freeman, of Adur Flood watch, said: “This area is a flood risk area. I know people don’t like me pouring water all over the good news this morning, but that’s a fact.

“Tidal walls will reduce the flood risk for the river and tidal flooding, but what it won’t change is the ground water situation. That whole area is still a floodplain, it’s at 75% risk of flooding from ground water levels.”

IKEA, best known for its Scandinavian named ready-to-assemble furniture, opened its first UK store in 1987, and currently has twenty. Other future locations for IKEA stores include Exeter, Sheffield, and Greenwich.