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.