Plans for two beachside restaurants have been refused by Worthing Borough Council over heritage concerns.
The plans were to replace the existing public shelter on the promenade south of West Buildings with a new, two-storey building for two restaurants. It was a resubmission of plans submitted in April, 2021, a decision on which was deferred for the redesign.
The ‘extremely unimaginative and insensitive application’ was refused because of the effects it would have on heritage assets and nearby residents, and for not securing planning permission within three years of the start of the project in 2019.
One restaurant was originally planned for the building, with the scheme approved in 2019 as an agreement between the owners of the shelter, the council, and developers. It was terminated July this year after the developers were unable to secure full planning permission in time.
Residents and council member Dan Hermitage (Lab, Selden) spoke in objection to the plans, saying the shelter was a heritage asset to the area, being locally listed in 2003, and that the design would be out of keeping with the area and would block seafront views for residents.
Agents for the developer said council officers had recommended the application for approval, and found the proposal’s financial and employment benefits to Worthing to be ‘considerable’, outweighing any harm done to surrounding heritage assets.
They said:
“The principle of the development was considered and endorsed by the original application and subsequent planning permission that was granted – [the developer] has a track record in delivering on such schemes.”
The community will now be asked to ‘shape’ the future of the site, the council said in a statement, with a public consultation to be launched in the coming months.
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