About Adur & Worthing District

Over half of Adur District (53%) lies within the South Downs National Park. Given the coastal location of the district and the presence of the River Adur, the risk of flooding from the sea and river Adur is a serious issue. A significant amount of land is designated as flood zone 2 (medium probability), 3a (high probability) and 3b (functional floodplain). The majority of Adur’s countryside lies within the open areas between Worthing – Lancing/ Sompting and Lancing – Shoreham-by-Sea which have also been designated as ‘Local Green Gaps’ to avoid coalescence and preserve the separate characters and identities of Adur’s settlements by providing physical and visual breaks. This is particularly important given the compact nature of Adur and its location within the wider Brighton conurbation. Travelling along the south coast there are few breaks in development between Brighton/Chichester; those in Adur are particularly fragile due to their small size and narrowness.

Worthing is one of the largest towns in West Sussex, measuring approximately 3,369 hectares. It borders Adur District to the east and Arun District to the north and west. Despite being principally urban in character, Worthing contains a number of environmentally sensitive areas. Worthing’s countryside is of particular importance and quality. Most of the land outside the built up area to the north falls within the South Downs National Park and many parts of the town have views of the Downland. The borough is also home to 11 Sites of Nature Conservation Importance and a Site of Special Scientific Interest (Cissbury Ring). There are over 360 hectares of parks and open recreation spaces.

CPRE Arun and Worthing works to protect these unique natural features and also promote the wellbeing of local communities.