Worthing Nightclub: Longer Hours Decision Due

Monday, 7 August 2023 12:48

By Thomas Hanway, Local Democracy Reporting Service

Jungle nightclub, Chatsworth St, Worthing

A nightclub in Worthing is seeking extended hours after the pandemic and allegations its previous owners ran the ‘business into the ground’.

Managers of the Jungle Nightclub, in Chatsworth Road, said their business is currently failing due to limiting opening hours and the decisions of previous management.

Worthing Borough Council’s Licensing and Control Sub-Committee B will decide whether the nightclub can extend its opening hours till 4am on Friday and 4:30am on Saturday, and reduce them by half an hour to 2am Monday to Wednesday – with live/recorded music by 10 minutes and alcohol sales by 40 mins Thursday to Saturday.

Owners said they open at 7pm most nights, with guests mostly turning up at around 1am, leaving until 2:30am Monday to Wednesday, 3:20am Thursday and Saturday and 2:50am Friday to turn a profit.

Initially they were seeking opening hours till 4am on Friday and 4:30am on Saturday, and 2am Monday to Wednesday, with live/recorded music and alcohol sales extended Thursday to Saturday to align with closing times – which were already at 2am Monday to Wednesday.

West Sussex County Council Health and Sussex Police objected to the plans, stating women’s safety and anti-social behaviour as a result of extended hours respectively, as main concerns.

The hours were amended to the current proposal by the nightclub with both bodies removing their objections, prior to the application coming before the committee.

A 217 home development on Union Place, jointly undertaken by the borough council, backs onto the nightclub, with the venue’s owners stating noise issues between them would be on developers to build into the new homes, rather than the nightclub thanks to changes in the law.

The council said the decision would be published within a week of the meeting