'We feel powerless' - Worthing traders compile list of demands amid ongoing disruption in the town centre

Months of roadworks have sparked anger among residents – compounded by the closure of the Grafton seaside car park, which remains shut until further notice due to safety concerns.

The High Street multi-storey car park will also close between June 23 and July 6 as part of Hemiko’s heat network project.

Worthing Borough Council said it understands that disruption in the town centre ‘could be putting people off’ from visiting – and has forged a plan to alleviate a car parking conundrum.

The council said this week: “We’ve been listening to traders and business groups in Worthing to agree ways that we can work with them to help the town to continue to thrive.

“In response, we are freeing up parking spaces in the town centre to create extra capacity for visitors over the coming weeks. This includes working on opening up part of the Teville Gate site as additional short-term parking.”

Val John, from co-working space Rooms in the Guildbourne Centre, is not convinced this plan will work.

She told Sussex World: “Our concern at the moment is the fact that they're going to close the High Street car park for two weeks.

"People can’t get into town because various roads are also closed. This is just going to make footfall into the Guildbourne Centre almost zero.

"That will have an effect on our business. We also have a fire exit that goes into the car park and down their stairs.

"Our immediate concern is how are people going to get in but, more importantly, if there's a fire and we need to escape quickly, are we going to be able to use the car park and go down the stairs? It's just proving to be very challenging.

"They've given free parking every other Sunday, but that's nothing compared to the amount of time they've been out there causing all the upheaval on the roads around them.

"We've just got to get on and deal with it. Businesses, particularly in the Guildbourne Centre, are going to suffer. It's very frustrating. We feel powerless, really.”

In response to the fire safety concerns, a spokesperson for Hemiko said: “The fire exits will, of course, remain operational throughout the works and we have considered this as part of our plans. We have communicated this with the Guildbourne Centre manager.”

Traders met on Monday night (June 2) to discuss the ongoing disruption.

A spokesperson for the Worthing Small Traders group said: “We welcomed the councils announcement on Teville Gate parking and the hold off on Montague place works whilst the car park is closed.

"As a group you can appreciate we are deeply concerned about the upcoming two-week car park closures and the constant disruption from the Hemiko works, which are affecting trade and footfall for large parts of the town centre in which the small traders operate from.

"This mostly being the Guildbourne Centre, Chatsworth Road, Chapel Road, High Street, parts of Warwick street and then reverberating on to further areas of the town centre.

“Whilst we appreciate that the council is coming up with some mitigating plans for the two-week closure, this urgently needs to be shared with the wider business community.

“During this time the business community will be doing all it can to attract shoppers into the town and have agreed to host a ‘tennerfest’ promotion alongside the BID promoting £10 offers in lots of businesses across the town centre during one week of the works. We are also planning some further cleaning up works to help make the town more attractive to visitors. Some parts of the BIDs marketing campaign will also start during this time.”

The traders group said it is ‘deeply concerned’ about the constant roadworks with the ‘goalposts being moved’ about timescales and deadlines.

It comes after the latest stage of the Worthing Heat Network project was delayed due to a 'burst in the water mains'.

Low-carbon energy company Hemiko has paused its works on Richmond Road and the High Street north roundabout. They were planned as part of a ‘pioneering scheme’ to bring ‘sustainable heating’ to buildings and homes in the town.

The traders group have urgently requested the following measures to be addressed by both Hemiko and, ‘where applicable’, Worthing Borough Council (WBC).

– An urgent meeting and ‘town centre walkabout’ to see ‘first hand the barriers to trade caused by the disruptions.’ Traders want this to happen by the end of June.

– Hemiko to have a senior executive / director on all online calls going forward;

– Hemiko to ‘produce a detailed plan’ by the end of the month showing the rest of the works planned for 2025 and share with the business community;

– Worthing Borough Council to ‘share a detailed plan’ of how they will ‘counteract’ the two-week High Street car park closure with the wider business community ‘within the next week’.

– Worthing Borough Council / Hemiko to look at some ‘private shuttle bus options at peak times’ during these two weeks with ‘Saturdays being preferred’ by the group. Suggestions included shuttle buses during the day from Broadwater, Goring and Lancing;

– WBC and Hemiko to look at ‘some extra future Sunday free parking offers’ going forward;

– Hemiko and WBC to look at supporting some ‘outlying Worthing promotion’ in railway stations and travel hubs to the town.

Worthing Herald readers have sent in letters about the situation, with one raising fears that the ongoing disruption is ‘killing’ the town.

In response to concerns from the community, a spokesperson for the heat network developer said: “Hemiko is committed to completing works on the Worthing Heat Network as soon as possible. We are working closely with Worthing Borough Council and West Sussex County Council to keep disruption to an absolute minimum.

“The roadworks are an unavoidable part of delivering the heat network, which will provide heat to the local hospital and council buildings. We know the summer period is important to Worthing, and we are therefore working hard to minimise disruption whilst completing construction. The programme remains under constant review.”

Worthing Borough Council also acknowledged that ‘recent months have been challenging for our town centre’.

A spokesperson added: “Worthing has a huge amount to offer and we’re actively working with business leaders and representative groups to make our town centre an even better place to live, visit and work. “We know that recent months have been challenging for our town centre and its hard-working businesses, particularly because of the development of the Worthing Heat Network and the recent, immediate closure of Grafton multi-storey car park.

“The closure of Grafton doesn’t mean we have a shortfall of parking spaces in the town centre - there are still more than 1,000 spaces across the area, in particular at our Buckingham Road, Civic Quarter and High Street multi-storey car parks.

“One of our major projects to support the town centre is Montague Gardens, which will see Montague Place transformed into a new green space that will breathe new life into our town centre and provide a boost to local businesses

“From independent retail and cinemas and theatre to walks on the promenade and amazing food and drink, there’s so much for residents and visitors to enjoy in Worthing this summer and beyond.”

Worthing Borough Council said the planned closure of the High Street multi-storey car park – between June 23 and July 6 – combined with the emergency closure of Grafton will lead to a ‘short-term but significant reduction’ in the number of available parking spaces in the town.

The council said it wants to ‘help support our local traders’, so – ‘at their request’ – has ‘pushed back’ the start of construction of Montague Gardens until July. This will be after the High Street car park reopens.