Work to begin on £3m town centre renovation

Work to transform a West Sussex town centre space with performance areas, hospitality kiosk and a living "green wall" are due to begin this Spring.

Montague Place in Worthing is at the centre of a £3.1m renovation project to create a community space, dubbed Montague Gardens.

The project, a joint venture between Worthing Borough Council and West Sussex County Council, will also include lawn space and children's play equipment.

Work on the project is expected to take 15 to 18 months, a spokesperson for Worthing Borough Council said.

The space, which will connect Montague Street to Worthing seafront, will be paid for by £2.7m of funds raised from developers building in the area, as well as £400,000 from West Sussex County Council.

A spokesperson for Worthing Borough Council said: "The emphasis is on increasing biodiversity with a green space that links the seafront to the nearby Liverpool Gardens."

The space will be inspired by early-19th Century seaside gardens, the council added.

Montague Gardens is the third such project to begin in Worthing alongside previous improvements to Portland Road and ongoing construction works in Railway Approach.

The projects are part of wider regeneration plans for the town centre as part of the Worthing Growth Deal between the councils.

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