Worthing development's 'missing trees' and out of use crossing explained

Residents took to social media to complain that trees and a working crossing are missing from the completed Bayside development, next to Splashpoint.

Trees are shown on both CGI images of the development and on a landscaping plan submitted to Worthing Borough Council but are nowhere to be seen along the paved frontage facing Brighton Road.

The same plans say the pedestrian crossing, which is frequently used by school and nursery children and their parents, will be reinstated but it is not currently working.

A spokesperson for Roffey Homes, which developed the site, said the company is ‘looking at a solution’.

“The trees indicated outside of the boundary have not been able to occur due to the location of buried utilities from the UKPN sub station around the north west corner, or not being shown on the S278 Highway works,” they said.

“We are looking at a solution as we told residents previously.”

The spokesperson added that trees and other planting had taken place within the site as planned.

They said the Brighton Road crossing is currently ‘in the hands of West Sussex County Council and their contractors’.

Highways authority WSCC could not confirm a date for fixing the crossing but has reassured residents it ‘will be programmed in’.

A spokesperson said: “This signalised pedestrian crossing was temporarily closed to enable site access for the duration of the Bayside development building works.

“A design for the reinstatement has recently been approved by the county council and Roffey Homes will be programming in this work.

“A date for its completion has not yet been confirmed but we would hope it to be as soon as possible.

“It has always been the intention for Roffey Homes to fully reinstate this crossing and, until such time, a temporary crossing has been provided further to the west – opposite the Splashpoint leisure centre.”

Planning permission was granted for the £45 million Bayside apartments scheme, built at the former Aquarena Pool site, in 2017.

Roffey says Bayside is its ‘largest development to date’ and the developer has also been chosen by Worthing Borough Council to deliver the proposed Union Place scheme.