Worthing's Montague Place to be transformed – again

The lines were added an April, 2022, as part of works to pedestrianise Montague Place and better connect the town centre with the sea.

At the time, a council spokesman said the design was similar to that used in Europe, ‘in such places like Copenhagen’. However, the lines were not well-received by all.

“What a complete waste of money," wrote one unhappy resident on Twitter, now X, with another describing them as ‘awful’.

Less than a year later, residents were asked for their views on a further redesign of Montague Place. In January, 2023, Worthing borough councillor Martin McCabe, then cabinet member for regeneration, said: “During The Big Listen, residents told us that they’d like to see more proactive change in Montague Place. We’ve taken that on board, and going forward we’re making sure that local people can have their say on how the space is redesigned for the future. Montague Place is a key part of Worthing’s town centre, and we want to realise its full potential by transforming it into a space that can be used and enjoyed by every member of our community, all year round. ”

Key features of the redesign include increased biodiversity and green space, more shelter from sun and wind and more seating. Accessibility will also be improved, after the pedestrianisation of the road was criticised because of the loss of disabled parking spaces.

The project will be funded from Worthing Borough Council’s community infrastructure levy, which is raised from developers, having been approved by the council’s joint strategic sub-committee at its meeting on Tuesday, September 12.

Montague Place is stage three of an eight-stage, £5million, West Sussex County Council restoration project for the town. Worthing Borough Council has responsibility for this stage.

Councillor Caroline Baxter, Worthing Borough Council’s current cabinet member for regeneration, said finding a developer and project manager for the Montague Place project would start towards the end of the year, and it was hoped work would be finished by spring, 2024.