Delivering Worthing Public Realm Improvements through the Adur and Worthing Growth Programme

West Sussex County Council (WSCC), Adur District Council (ADC) and Worthing Borough Council (WBC) signed the Adur and Worthing Growth Deal in March 2017. The Growth Deal is an ambitious five year partnership growth programme focusing on regeneration in the area. Through its delivery arm, the Adur and Worthing Growth Programme, it is designed to attract investment and combine resources to achieve local economic growth, enable the development of new homes, and create employment opportunities and community facilities. 



As part of this deal, £12 million has been invested into the Worthing Public Realm Improvements project. Worthing Public Realm Improvements aims to support the recovery of the economy and connect regeneration sites within Worthing, the largest coastal town in West Sussex. Specifically, the Public Realm Improvements projects aim to enhance the quality and accessibility of public space and business areas connecting Worthing station with its town centre and seafront.

In order to deliver on the economic growth and COVID-19 objectives of the Growth Programme, the council works with numerous partners to deliver the most efficient and effective programme and to pool funding and resources.

Through this partnership approach, the project has pooled funding from the Coast to Capital Local Enterprise Partnership (C2C LEP) grants which total £1 million; £7 million from the Worthing Borough Council Community Infrastructure Levy and developer contributions as well as a £5 million capital allocation from West Sussex County Council. This enabled the Worthing Public Realm Improvements programme to develop eight priority schemes. The regeneration of Portland Road has been identified as the first priority scheme of the programme with a further commitment made to regenerate Railway Approach as part of the second phase of the Public Realm Improvements Programme. The Portland Road regeneration will uplift one of Worthing’s busiest high streets and encourage an evening economy through new paving, landscaping features, lighting and digital connectivity.

The Portland Road design was jointly developed by WSCC and WBC, working closely together and consulting on proposals to enhance the urban landscape and accessibility, with new paved areas, reduced clutter on the highway, new street lighting, urban realm furniture, trees and quality sustainable low maintenance landscaping being introduced.  As a result of the funding contributions from the LEP and WSCC as well as project delivery resource from WBC, work was able to start on site on 3 June 2021, with a local contractor, Landbuild, and is due to completed by end of May/June 2022.



The Railway Approach project aims to develop the station gateway from Worthing Station to the seafront through the town centre, by improving the public realm such as a new layout, paving, lighting and landscaping. The vision is to also create new cycleway and cycle hubs, as a part of the comprehensive Teville Gate regeneration site which sits opposite Worthing Station and highlights the growth in the area through its newly regenerated office blocks. The project has a strategic role in supporting town centre growth and revitalising the economy.  Railway Approach is the second phase of the Worthing Public Realm Improvement project and with support from WBC, WSCC has secured a grant contribution from the C2C LEP to deliver the project. WSCC has completed the preliminary designs for the project following a public engagement exhibition event run by the WSCC project team and is proceeding into detailed design.

The Adur and Worthing Growth Programme is expected to create 2,610 new homes, 115,000 sqm of new commercial space, facilitate 6,595 new jobs and create 5km of new cycleways. Within the Growth Programme, Worthing Public Realm Improvements scheme will develop three public realm areas leading to improved living and business environments in the town centre.

Through public realm improvement schemes including Portland Road and Railway Approach, key objectives will be met such as:

• creating accessible, attractive and healthy spaces for business and the local community
• making ‘welcoming places’ for visitors, with increased footways and cycleways, promoting sustainable transport modal shift, encouraging walking and cycling, and use of public transport
• integrating digital infrastructure in town centres, improving lighting, CCTV and Way Finding to enhance the sense of security and wellbeing for all users.

Managing expectations and promoting benefits through early public engagement, joint working and partnership communications have been key to the success of the projects, so far.  The pandemic presented additional challenges to project teams, in terms of measuring and managing risk, due to high levels of change, eg lockdowns, delayed surveys and work onsite – with adjustments being made to ensure safe working practice. The COVID-19 impact on the market continues to affect uncertainty within supply chains, with significant material and labour inflation. Presentation of design of the schemes, along with realistic and achievable timelines, enabled partners to manage public expectations and mitigated temporary disruption – keeping key stakeholders informed with clear and concise explanations, and an ongoing dialogue.

Adur and Worthing Growth Deal

Emma Verrinder

[email protected]