Plans to turn former Horsham youth centre into a children's nursery

DHS Properties and Monkey Puzzle Day Nursery are seeking planning permission from Horsham District Council to change the use of the former Roffey Youth Centre in Godwin Way.

West Sussex County Council, which owns the building, put the property up for sale in June with an asking price of £725,000.

In a planning statement to the council, Iceni Projects – agents for DHS Properties – say that the nursery would provide 118 child spaces, provide a service to the local community and create extra local jobs.

The agents say: “The site has previously been in use as a children’s centre, however it is currently vacant and there has been no interest in retaining this use of the site by potential operators.”

If planning permission is granted, the nursery plans to convert part of an existing car park at the centre into a children’s play area and erect new fencing around it.

The former youth centre was originally purpose-built but closed in 2008 amid the county council’s cuts to youth services.

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The building was later reopened as a children and family centre as part of the council’s ‘early help’ service.

But it closed again last year and has since remained empty. The county council said the closure was part of a county-wide review of its ‘Early Help’ services which aimed to focus on more effectively supporting vulnerable children and families in their own homes and in the community.