February 16th, 2022
Work to transform Montague Place into a more attractive place for shoppers and tourists has begun.
Worthing Borough Council consulted with businesses and residents about its plans to use government funding to pedestrianise the road - cutting traffic pollution and creating a better place for people.
Work has begun on the site after West Sussex County Council gave approval for the road to be permanently closed to traffic.
Montague Place has been closed to traffic since June 2020 so the Council could increase social distancing between visitors in the heart of the town centre following the first lockdown, but this was only agreed as a temporary measure during the pandemic.
Now the current road surface will be raised and decorated so that the whole of Montague Place is level, making it more appealing for visitors and businesses. Extra lighting will be provided and new planters will be installed, as well as parklets - areas of seating surrounded by plants and shrubs - to make the area even more welcoming.
The Council, working with West Sussex County Council, will then ask residents and traders how they would like the area to look in the long-term, before giving the road a complete makeover. Work on giving Montague Place its permanent new look could begin in 2023.
Worthing Borough Council’s Executive Member for Regeneration, Cllr Nicky Waight, said: “The proposed enhancement to Montague Place will make the area more user-friendly to pedestrians and will provide a link between Montague Street and the seafront.
“This will then be a more attractive and green space for residents, visitors and local businesses.”
The disabled parking spaces that were temporarily relocated to Marine Parade outside Marks & Spencer have now been made permanent, whilst new disabled bays have also been installed in the Montague Quarter car park. The loading bays at the seafront end of Montague Place will remain in place for business use.
There could be some slight disruption over the next eight weeks before the road fully reopens to visitors in time for Easter. The work is being paid for using Welcome Back funding, secured from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities in response to supporting town centres during the pandemic.
Read More
February 11th, 2022
Two open spaces known as the Goring Gap to the west of the town and Brooklands in the east are considered as crucial to protect the integrity of the community and prevent urban sprawl.
The report to members of Worthing Borough Council’s Joint Strategic Committee (JSC) says initial feedback from a Local Plan Inspector has strongly indicated he accepts the argument that the sites should remain undeveloped and describes this as ‘a good news story’.
Members of the JSC heard although his final report is awaited the inspector had made a strong inference that Local Green Gap (LGG) status should be awarded to both Chatsmore Farm and the Goring-Ferring Gap and that an even stronger protection Local Green Space (LGS) should be applied at Brooklands.
The timing of the inspector’s intervention was also described as very helpful coming at the time an appeal hearing against the Council’s decision to refuse a plan by Persimmon to build 475 homes at Chatsmore, north west of Goring railway station, was being heard.
A decision on that appeal is expected later this year but the Council is hoping the Local Plan inspector’s indications will work in favour of continued refusal.
Leader of Worthing Borough Council, Cllr Kevin Jenkins, said, ‘I welcome this report and the strong indications that all our hard work to produce a robust Local Plan to both protect our vital open spaces while creating opportunities for much-needed new homes on brownfield site within our urban areas is being recognised.
‘We will continue to fight tooth and nail against any attempt to fill in these much needed open spaces and we will do so armed with the tremendous amount of work and expertise that have gone into creating this Local Plan.
‘I look forward to the council being in a position to formally adopt this Local Plan later in the year once the inspector's report is published so that we get vital protection for these green spaces.’
Despite the Council being under pressure to meet government-backed house building targets the report says the inspector has indicated he wants to see proposals to allow 60 homes to be built at Titnore Lane removed from the Local Plan. The report accepts this intervention and says the number of homes can be made up by slightly increasing density at a number of brownfield sites.
The full and final report from the inspector on the Worthing Local Plan is expected in the Spring
Read More
February 10th, 2022
Since 2019, the Worthing Observation Wheel (WOW) has stood on Marine Parade between Worthing Seafront Beacon and the Coastal Office at the bottom of Montague Place during the summer months.
More than 50,000 people have taken a trip on the attraction in that time, generating funds for Worthing Borough Council to invest in public services and encouraging visitors to the town.
Now the Council is inviting entertainment businesses to bid for the chance to get in on the action by taking over the site from 1 April.
It could be used as the home for a giant wheel again, a similar style of attraction or something entirely different - it’s up to operators to come forward with ideas for what they’d like to do on the site.
Worthing Borough Council’s Executive Member for Regeneration, Cllr Nicky Waight, said: “The observation wheel has been an eye-catching attraction for the town centre over the last three years. It’s generated income for the Council as well as bringing more feet to the street, helping our many independent shops and businesses to survive and thrive during the pandemic.
“Marine Parade had the WOW factor again last summer and we’re excited to see who might be interested in taking over the site to help draw in the crowds this year.”
Operators interested in taking over the site should visit the Council’s dedicated webpage for more information.
Read More
February 9th, 2022
The former police station site in Union Place has been derelict for many years. In 2017 and 2018 the Council bought that site and the adjacent NCP car park for almost £9.7 million to push forward the redevelopment of the area. Since then it has been working with Government-owned regeneration specialist LCR Property to develop the site.
Under plans agreed by Adur & Worthing Councils’ Joint Strategic Committee, Roffey Homes will work with Worthing Borough Council to develop that site, the NCP car park and the High Street short-stay car park. They hope to create 63 one-bedroom and 123 two-bedroom homes, at least 37 of which would be classed as affordable and would be offered to people on Worthing’s housing register.
A new ground floor car park with more than 250 spaces would be created as well as commercial units and a potential cinema extension for the Connaught Theatre. The Council would retain the freehold for the site and would split the costs and profits with Roffey Homes.
The committee was told that research showed that there was a potential demand for between three and five extra cinema screens in the town.
An estimated 100,000 trips a year are made by Worthing residents to Chichester, Brighton and other towns for cinema visits - spending £3.5 million in those areas annually that could otherwise be spent in Worthing.
Worthing Borough Council’s Executive Member for Regeneration, Cllr Nicky Waight, said: “These are proposals that will breathe new life into the area. Residents of Worthing want this site developed to improve the area and provide new housing.
“The selection of Roffey Homes means we can now move forward with these ambitious plans to transform this section of the town.”
A planning application for the scheme could be submitted this Autumn. If approved, work could begin as early as Spring 2023.
To watch the discussion by the Joint Strategic Committee, visit https://youtu.be/xs96M_fskZk.
Read More
Work begins on new car-free Montague Place
Work to transform Montague Place into a more attractive place for shoppers and tourists has begun.Worthing Borough Council consulted with businesses and residents about its plans to use government funding to pedestrianise the road - cutting traffic pollution and creating a better place for people.
Work has begun on the site after West Sussex County Council gave approval for the road to be permanently closed to traffic.
Montague Place has been closed to traffic since June 2020 so the Council could increase social distancing between visitors in the heart of the town centre following the first lockdown, but this was only agreed as a temporary measure during the pandemic.
Now the current road surface will be raised and decorated so that the whole of Montague Place is level, making it more appealing for visitors and businesses. Extra lighting will be provided and new planters will be installed, as well as parklets - areas of seating surrounded by plants and shrubs - to make the area even more welcoming.
The Council, working with West Sussex County Council, will then ask residents and traders how they would like the area to look in the long-term, before giving the road a complete makeover. Work on giving Montague Place its permanent new look could begin in 2023.
Worthing Borough Council’s Executive Member for Regeneration, Cllr Nicky Waight, said: “The proposed enhancement to Montague Place will make the area more user-friendly to pedestrians and will provide a link between Montague Street and the seafront.
“This will then be a more attractive and green space for residents, visitors and local businesses.”
The disabled parking spaces that were temporarily relocated to Marine Parade outside Marks & Spencer have now been made permanent, whilst new disabled bays have also been installed in the Montague Quarter car park. The loading bays at the seafront end of Montague Place will remain in place for business use.
There could be some slight disruption over the next eight weeks before the road fully reopens to visitors in time for Easter. The work is being paid for using Welcome Back funding, secured from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities in response to supporting town centres during the pandemic.
Read More
February 11th, 2022
INSPECTOR BACKS COUNCIL FIGHT TO PROTECT VITAL GREEN SPACES
Efforts to protect the green spaces that border Worthing have been strengthened by the support of a government inspector, a report says.Two open spaces known as the Goring Gap to the west of the town and Brooklands in the east are considered as crucial to protect the integrity of the community and prevent urban sprawl.
The report to members of Worthing Borough Council’s Joint Strategic Committee (JSC) says initial feedback from a Local Plan Inspector has strongly indicated he accepts the argument that the sites should remain undeveloped and describes this as ‘a good news story’.
Members of the JSC heard although his final report is awaited the inspector had made a strong inference that Local Green Gap (LGG) status should be awarded to both Chatsmore Farm and the Goring-Ferring Gap and that an even stronger protection Local Green Space (LGS) should be applied at Brooklands.
The timing of the inspector’s intervention was also described as very helpful coming at the time an appeal hearing against the Council’s decision to refuse a plan by Persimmon to build 475 homes at Chatsmore, north west of Goring railway station, was being heard.
A decision on that appeal is expected later this year but the Council is hoping the Local Plan inspector’s indications will work in favour of continued refusal.
Leader of Worthing Borough Council, Cllr Kevin Jenkins, said, ‘I welcome this report and the strong indications that all our hard work to produce a robust Local Plan to both protect our vital open spaces while creating opportunities for much-needed new homes on brownfield site within our urban areas is being recognised.
‘We will continue to fight tooth and nail against any attempt to fill in these much needed open spaces and we will do so armed with the tremendous amount of work and expertise that have gone into creating this Local Plan.
‘I look forward to the council being in a position to formally adopt this Local Plan later in the year once the inspector's report is published so that we get vital protection for these green spaces.’
Despite the Council being under pressure to meet government-backed house building targets the report says the inspector has indicated he wants to see proposals to allow 60 homes to be built at Titnore Lane removed from the Local Plan. The report accepts this intervention and says the number of homes can be made up by slightly increasing density at a number of brownfield sites.
The full and final report from the inspector on the Worthing Local Plan is expected in the Spring
Read More
February 10th, 2022
Key Worthing seafront site up for grabs this summer
A key section of Worthing’s seafront is available for rent as a tourism magnet again this summer.Since 2019, the Worthing Observation Wheel (WOW) has stood on Marine Parade between Worthing Seafront Beacon and the Coastal Office at the bottom of Montague Place during the summer months.
More than 50,000 people have taken a trip on the attraction in that time, generating funds for Worthing Borough Council to invest in public services and encouraging visitors to the town.
Now the Council is inviting entertainment businesses to bid for the chance to get in on the action by taking over the site from 1 April.
It could be used as the home for a giant wheel again, a similar style of attraction or something entirely different - it’s up to operators to come forward with ideas for what they’d like to do on the site.
Worthing Borough Council’s Executive Member for Regeneration, Cllr Nicky Waight, said: “The observation wheel has been an eye-catching attraction for the town centre over the last three years. It’s generated income for the Council as well as bringing more feet to the street, helping our many independent shops and businesses to survive and thrive during the pandemic.
“Marine Parade had the WOW factor again last summer and we’re excited to see who might be interested in taking over the site to help draw in the crowds this year.”
Operators interested in taking over the site should visit the Council’s dedicated webpage for more information.
Read More
February 9th, 2022
Roffey Homes confirmed as preferred developer for Union Place
Roffey Homes has been selected to work with Worthing Borough Council to redevelop the derelict Union Place site.The former police station site in Union Place has been derelict for many years. In 2017 and 2018 the Council bought that site and the adjacent NCP car park for almost £9.7 million to push forward the redevelopment of the area. Since then it has been working with Government-owned regeneration specialist LCR Property to develop the site.
Under plans agreed by Adur & Worthing Councils’ Joint Strategic Committee, Roffey Homes will work with Worthing Borough Council to develop that site, the NCP car park and the High Street short-stay car park. They hope to create 63 one-bedroom and 123 two-bedroom homes, at least 37 of which would be classed as affordable and would be offered to people on Worthing’s housing register.
A new ground floor car park with more than 250 spaces would be created as well as commercial units and a potential cinema extension for the Connaught Theatre. The Council would retain the freehold for the site and would split the costs and profits with Roffey Homes.
The committee was told that research showed that there was a potential demand for between three and five extra cinema screens in the town.
An estimated 100,000 trips a year are made by Worthing residents to Chichester, Brighton and other towns for cinema visits - spending £3.5 million in those areas annually that could otherwise be spent in Worthing.
Worthing Borough Council’s Executive Member for Regeneration, Cllr Nicky Waight, said: “These are proposals that will breathe new life into the area. Residents of Worthing want this site developed to improve the area and provide new housing.
“The selection of Roffey Homes means we can now move forward with these ambitious plans to transform this section of the town.”
A planning application for the scheme could be submitted this Autumn. If approved, work could begin as early as Spring 2023.
To watch the discussion by the Joint Strategic Committee, visit https://youtu.be/xs96M_fskZk.
Read More
Topics
BroadwaterCrimeCissburyDurringtonGoringTarringWorthingWest WorthingHighdownStudent LifeCompetitionBusiness NewsLocal NewsCharity NewsEvents NewsOpinion
Recent Posts
Warm spaces open up in Adur and WorthingDecember 18th, 2024
Worthing Borough Council vote to endorse a call for a Fossil Fuel TreatyDecember 18th, 2024
Worthing Borough Council reaches out to the artistic community for the future of Colonnade HouseDecember 17th, 2024Have You Seen...
Brightening up Montague PlaceApril 26th, 2022
ANGER AT MONSTROSITY OF 5G POLE PROPOSAL AT BROADWATER SHOPSMarch 25th, 2021