New upmarket wine bar is coming to Worthing in former village post office

The owner of The Refreshment Rooms in High Salvington, Mr Chris Baxter, has already been given approval for change of use of The Old Bake House tea room in Tarring High Street.

His new wine bar, The Sorting Room, will be a Sui Generis drinking establishment with expanded food, using the existing kitchen / servery for locally-sourced cold food platters.

Worthing Borough Council welcomed the idea of a drinking establishment that promised to be 'a catalyst for community enrichment' and a welcoming space for people in the village to connect.

The licensing application for part of the Grade II listed building at 2 High Street, Tarring, is the next step, with a committee hearing scheduled for Thursday, August 14, at 6.30pm, if required.

The application proposes alcohol sales and opening hours from 11am to 11pm Tuesday to Saturday and 12pm to 9.30pm on Sunday. Recorded music would also be played during these hours. Any representations should be made in writing to the licensing unit by Monday, July 21.

Guys and Dolls, the hair salon on the first floor, will be retained, although one of the upstairs rooms will become a break out space for community use, such as club meetings, as well as an additional space for wine bar customers.

The wine bar will have seating inside and in two outside areas, the courtyard on the south side and the garden at the rear.

The Worthing Society has been supportive of the plans, stating: "The Old Bakehouse is a characterful building which occupies a landmark site leading to the ancient High Street.

"The Old Bakehouse has been empty for some time and we welcome the opportunity to return it to viable use. On examination, the proposed works appear to be sensitive to the character and period of the building."

The property, opposite The George and Dragon pub and next door to The Parsonage, was formerly West Tarring Post Office, until 2004. It then became a newsagents