Adur District Council has sold the site of its former civic centre for £6m to affordable housing provider The Hyde Group.
The housing association will build 159 affordable homes on the land, enough to house 470 people, the council said. More than 50 homes will be for social rent.
The local authority said it had worked with Hyde and residents to create plans for the site that provide a large amount of affordable housing without damaging the area’s character, including developing a proposal to save a poplar tree following local concern about its removal.
Adur said it is considering whether to spend the £6m on ongoing community projects or invest it to generate income to support frontline services.
The authority’s cabinet member for regeneration and strategic planning, Steve Neocleous, said: ‘We're always reviewing our assets and investments to make sure that every pound we have is working as hard for our residents as possible.
‘We will continue to focus our funding on the projects and work that will benefit the community the most.’
