Adur has refurbished 26 of the council flats left empty on the Southwick estate, and 19 more are under way. The £2m job went to three contractors in April.

Adur District Council has finished refurbishing 26 of the empty council flats on the Southwick estate. Work is under way on 19 more, it said on 30 October (Adur & Worthing Councils, PR26-099).

Southwick is the Adur neighbourhood just east of Shoreham, about six miles east of Worthing town centre. The flats belong to Adur Homes, the district’s council housing, and will go to Adur families who need a home.

Why they were empty

The flats did not fall empty by accident. A council report from April says 44 homes on the Southwick estate were left unrefurbished after their last tenants moved out. The council held them back “in order to consider a more strategic approach to the use of these properties” (Southwick Voids report, April 2026).

The report spells out the cost of leaving them. Families waited in unsuitable homes or in temporary and emergency accommodation. The flats earned no rent. And empty homes risk needing more work through neglect or vandalism.

Adur’s cabinet member for housing approved the programme on 30 April 2026 (decision A/H&CS/005/25-26). Work began in June, the council says.

What the work involves

The council is spending up to £2 million. The work varies from flat to flat. Some need:

  • a new kitchen and bathroom
  • upgraded heating and insulation
  • new fans and ventilation

One flat in Grange Court got a new kitchen, a new bathroom, double glazing, carpets and redecoration throughout, the council says.

Two photographs side by side of the lounge of a flat in Grange Court, Southwick: stripped and unfinished before, redecorated and carpeted after.
The lounge of the same Grange Court flat, before and after. Photo: Adur & Worthing Councils, PR26-099

Who is doing it

Six contractors were invited to bid and five did. Price counted for 70% of the score and quality for 30%. The top three each won a share, paid only as they meet targets (April report):

Contractor Based in Maximum value
Ecosafe Heating Limited Poole £800,000
HMG Building Services Hornchurch, Essex £600,000
GDM Building Solutions Stevenage £600,000

None is local, but all three already work in West Sussex, the report says. The only bidder with a BN postcode was about 60% more expensive.

Each contractor started with a few flats. More are handed over only if it meets its targets. These include at least 90% resident satisfaction, 85% of flats handed back with no defects, and final costs within 10% of the estimate.

Is it on time?

The April report estimated about three months from start on site to release for each batch. Five months on, 26 flats are done.

The council’s figures, 26 finished and 19 in progress, add up to 45. The April report counted 44 empty flats. The press release does not explain the difference.

What it means for you

  • If you are on the Adur housing register, 26 more council homes have become available in Southwick since June, and more should follow.
  • If you live on the estate, contractors were told to contact neighbouring residents before starting each flat.
  • On the wider picture, homelessness is the councils’ biggest budget pressure. Our report on the homelessness overspend has the figures for both councils, and our story on the new social homes at the old Shoreham civic centre covers the other big addition to Adur’s supply this autumn.

Sources