Project Worthing waits for council commitment

Project Worthing, run by a community trust, would feature an Olympic-sized swimming pool and ice rink, a sports lagoon, and a self-contained village and 200-room hotel built on land reclaimed from the sea.

See the Herald's first story about Project Worthing, by clicking here.

Wind turbines would provide power, a sea wall would prevent coastal erosion and flooding and the town could make up to 20 million a year from increased tourism, according to project's authors, David Mulvagh and Bill Harding.

They have now asked the council for a written commitment to the project which they can show to the private financiers they hope will fund the scheme.

Ian Lowrie, Worthing Council chief executive, who has previously dismissed the scheme as "nothing more than a set of ideas and drawings," said council officers would be asked to report on the project to January's meeting of the council cabinet before any further action was considered.

In a presentation to around 50 of the town's business people at the Chatsworth Hotel on Tuesday, Mr Harding said it was a "chicken and egg" situation, with financiers unwilling to commit money without the council agreeing to provide the land, including the Aquarena site.

He said funding was being sought in the middle east and sports companies were "lining up" to sponsor the 3,000-seater arena, one of the cornerstones of the project.

He has also pledged to press for a council response before January, fearing the project could stall if momentum is lost.

Business leaders were clearly impressed by the project, yet concerned about the scheme's funding.

Sharon Clarke, town centre manager, said: "We should be challenged to try to get the best for the town at the moment.

"But it could be too challenging without saying where the finances are coming from. But the scheme is a fantastic one and would be brilliant for the town."

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