Fiddling while Worthing burns

Recession looms, key developments in the town centre start to look less certain, and there's a bit of a hole in the forthcoming budget.

And what are the senior management team (or Partnership Management Board, as they like to be known) of Worthing Borough Council spending their time on?:

it was agreed that the recently issued joint letterhead could be used for straightforward letters. All relevant staff to be made aware of those instances where the joint letterhead should not be used – e.g. payment requests/some legal matters. In the case of any doubts as to which letterhead should be used, staff to seek guidance from their managers

A joint letterhead, for councils that 'aren't really merging, no not at all'.  And now between them, the councils have three letterheads, and officers have to check which one to use with their manager.

You couldn't make it up, really, could you?

Worthing – home of the (quality) arts

A good week for the arts in Worthing, with news that the Desert Quartet will keep its listing, and hence will be (hopefully, almost) impossible for Humphrey Avon to move. The campaign to get the Elizabeth Frink sculptures listed (at their current site) was an impressive, and non-political, effort, which drew in a lot of heavyweight support, and they deserve a lot of credit. Now, to find some way to raise the profile of the old 'goggle heads' for visitors to the town...

Also a good week as the chances of the abominably dull 'Suncloud' being installed at Splash Point receded a bit, as CABE rejected a bid for funding under the Sea Change project. Although Jack would like to see the area regenerated, he always thought that Suncloud was a waste of a good space that could be better utilised for other artistic endeavours, like musicians and performances.

And finally, Jack has heard that of a newly discovered document that sheds light on the visit of an extremely well-known literary figure to Worthing. I've promised not to reveal more until this is published next year, but it seems to be quite exciting.

Checkpoint Charlie, Worthing-style

So. I ran into a friend yesterday, who has a lot of friends among Worthing Conservatives, who gives me interesting info occasionally.

Now, I'm not sure how much I credit this, but my friend claims that one of the leading Worthing Tories - both a borough AND a county councillor, mark you - has fallen out very badly with his party; so badly, in fact, that he might not make it to re-selection for next year's County Council elections, and has even talked to one of the LibDems about defecting.

Now, I for one would be very unhappy if Worthing's LibDems took this one on board. I can't conceive of a party that could include my LibDem friends and this person - but it would be a huge scalp, and I mean huge, if this person crossed the floor, so we'll see how the LibDems balance this one out - principle or party interest?

Council Doings (and Don'ts)

Speaking to Councillor Bunbury (Independent, Seafront Shelter) earlier this week, I hear that Worthing Conservatives' policy of gradually doing away with meetings and debate has caught up with them in an unexpected, and slightly funny way.

They've suddenly realised that, as Cabinet members no longer have individual meetings, they don't have a platform to tell us how wonderfully they've done recently, or what bounties they are about to bestow on the people of Worthing. The answer...?

Well, the answer according to the Conservatives is to turn the paltry 20 minutes of debate allowed in Council meetings (of which there are only 6 a year!) into a pale copy of PMQs in Westminster, with questions being handed out (literally - written down and handed out before the meeting) to backbench councillors to give cabinet members the feed lines to puff themselves. So, according to Cllr Bunbury, we had the wonderful spectacle of Carol Molineux asking the cabinet member for leisure what delights he would be bringing to the seafront this summer (miniature pony rides, no less!), followed by Ann Sayers asking Keith Mercer, the Leader of the Council, if he could tell the council how awful the Labour government were and how much better the Tories would be.

One tip, ladies, from Bunbury: rehearse the question first, as tripping over the words does give the game away; and there are councillors in the chamber who I'm sure could help with the dramatic delivery.

The Drugs Don't Work

Speaking of dramatic (non) delivery - we had been waiting with bated breath to hear news of Cllr Bryan Turner (Con, MPharmS) and his ongoing sale of part of his pharmacy empire. The news is in and sadly it's, well, sad.

The seven-figure sum that Bryan was hoping for hasn't materialised; in fact the whole deal has fallen through; so it's back behind the counter for Bryan and his better half, Val - perhaps they'll have time to tidy up the South Farm Road outlet, now, eh?

Still, what to do for Worthing's LibDems? Rejoice that Bryan doesn't have pots of cash to lob at the local Conservatives? Or grieve that Bryan won't be retiring wherever old chemists go, and leaving the council in peace? Let's hope someone else comes in with a bid - perhaps for the whole sprawling commercial octopus that is Turner Pharmacies this time.

Separated at Birth?

Alarming political auguries on billboards, part 1. There is a large billboard just by Worthing station advertising Goring Hall Hospital, a local private hospital. The happy, smiling gent on the poster, if Jack's eyes don't deceive him, could well be Billy Bragg, the well-known left-wing singer. Could Billy have seen the Cameronian light and realised that private medicine is the opium of the masses? See what you think:





Brings a whole new meaning to Operation Red Wedge, doesn't it?

Exhausted - and I was only watching...

I had a post for today all planned out in my head, and figured I'd sit down to write it after Murray-Gasquet. Something of a misjudgment, I expect you'll agree.

Didn't see all of the first two sets as I had to go out, and when I got back it looked all up for Andy, but the guy has spirit, and seems to have developed the fitness to support it now. Some of the shots were frankly unbelievable - exhibit A being the onethat won the 3rd set tiebreak: not only His face at that moment will be on some back pages tomorrow.

Substantive post tomorrow, if I've recovered - and before he takes on Nadal.

Two Wheels Good

I went on a demonstration yesterday.

Last week the council voted to extend the cycle route west of Worthing pier – sort of. Never a group to make a decision when a delay will do, the cabinet had decided: not to make a final decision, but to have a trial; not to do it now, but sometime in the future (when they can get the bye laws changed); and not to have a dedicated cycle route, but to have shared use – so let's look forward to cyclist dodging pedestrians, and pedestrians dodging OAPs in electric buggies, and children dodging everyone (we hope). Still, at least they decided that this nebulous, date-to-be-determined, trial, should go as far as George V Avenue. The public have spoken, after all!

Having been handed a flyer for a demo about the Worthing prom cycle route, I turned up just before 11am, expecting to find a dozen or so fanatics like myself. Okay, the weather was good, but not long before it had looked dauntingly grey and miserable – not the sort of day for walking along the prom with my bike to pressure the council to act a little more like they are capable of acting.

Amazingly, there were a good couple of hundred people there – parents with kids; a sort of Hells' Angel cyclist, with bandanna, flags and customised reclining bike a family of four on unicycles; oldies, youngies; people without bikes (!); even two councillors (although no Tories, not even the cycling 'champion').

While we waited for the word to set off, I was approached by a rather patrician lady, perhaps seventy or so, with her husband in tow (definitely in tow- it was obvious who was in charge of their Sunday walk). 'What's going on?' she asked in a rather peremptory fashion; I explained, and waited for her to give me her no doubt forthright views on cyclists on the prom. 'What nonsense,' she said. 'Of course cyclists should be able to use the prom, what are we, idiots? Where's your petition?' I pointed her at someone with a fluorescent jacket and a clipboard. She signed the petition, and without turning around, said 'George, come here and sign this.' Now that's the sort of Worthing Tory lady I like.

The demo? We had a great walk, very orderly, from Heene Road to Splash Point. People rang their bells, pedestrians joined in and asked questions, people waved from cars and honked their horns. Hopefully the press photo will be in the papers later this week; I'm the one at the back with the railway ticket and large handbag, of course.

Clouds on the Horizon?

Worthing has been waiting for its 'regeneration' for quite a while now - but the picture that looked rosy even just a few months ago is starting to get a bit fuzzy.

At Sea Place and Worthing College, developers are saying the value of the development has dropped, and are asking for a 'discount' on what they owe the Council - and in the former case, that discount is a substantial amount. As the council are relying on that money to finance a new pool, they are in a real bind about this - face losing key funding for a leisure facility demanded by everyone, or hold out for the full amount and risk the developers walking away entirely? For now, they've chosen the latter; but they're going to have to choose more frequently over the next year or two.

At Teville Gate, the developers were counting on a council swimming pool in the site; that's gone now (but without a clear final destination!), and the developers are still talking confidently of a planning application by the end of 2008, but I've heard that the holding company that owns the site has transferred to an offshore shell company - not exactly a vote of confidence that things will progress.

And finally (for now!): West Durrington. This site is supposed to provide most of Worthing's housing requirement over the next decade - but Persimmon, the council's key building partner for this project, have put the site on hold for at least 18 months. If a week is a long time in politics, 18 months is an age, and as far as I know, there are no contingency plans. Who knows, the affordable housing the current council were so keen to avoid could prove the saving of not only this, but also other major sites coming forward across the town.

Meet Jack Worthing

Hi.

I'm Jack Worthing: it's not my real name, obviously, but like the character in the play, it suits me to have an identity which will allow me to 'get into scrapes' – in other words, say things about my home town which might otherwise be a little awkward or controversial for me to say, or others to hear.

Like many Worthing residents I'm not a native, but I have lived here most of my adult life. My paradox is that I love and prize my home town, but I want to see it change: there is a need, not just for cosmetic surgery on a few flaws, but for major improvements in the town centre, leisure facilities and infrastructure.

Are the council, and other agencies in Worthing, capable of rising to the challenge and making Worthing better? That's a big question, and they've certainly failed a couple of times in recent times, but not in a terminal way. Let's hope they learn from these mistakes.

But let's be proud of what we can be: our wonderful environment, with the sea and the Downs just outside the door, a thriving artistic community, a town centre which has the potential to be a prime, desirable, destination, and a genuine sense of place and community.

I'm going to use this blog to discuss some of the opportunities and problems facing Worthing, as well as some observations from other parts of my life. I hope some people who come across this blog will feel strongly enough to comment and add to the discussion, whether you agree or disagree; and if you have any news or stories about Worthing you feel should be broadcast, drop me a line at jackworthing.worthing@gmail.com