The ‘change of use’ application, from the council itself, will be put to the planning committee on Tuesday (January 6).
The station, in Hurst Road, has not been used by ambulances since 2016, with permission given in 2017 to use it as theatre rehearsal space.
Early in December, the council agreed to spend £488,000 converting the old station into a workshop for servicing food waste collection vehicles. Such collections are due to start by the spring of 2026.
If planning permission is given, the work will include repairs to the roof, the installation of energy efficient lighting and heating, and more specific items such as a vehicle inspection pit, drainage and workshop equipment.
It will be used by the smaller 12-tonne vehicles rather than the larger waste lorries.
The council has received a couple of objections to the plans, with concerns raised including noise, the impact on the character of the area and the environment, and the proposed use being ‘incompatible with the surrounding residential and community uses’.
An objection from The Horsham Society said: “We do not think that this is a suitable location for this facility, certainly not long term. It is not so long ago that [the council] was considering how the publicly owned land on the south side of Hurst Road could be subject to a comprehensive development plan – but that seems to have fallen by the wayside.
“However, whatever the long-term future for this area a commercial vehicle washing and repair facility is not an appropriate component. We therefore ask that if the council is minded to approve the application it should be subject to a five-year limit.”
To view the application, log on to public-access.horsham.gov.uk and search for DC/25/1840.
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