Courtyard units for new local independent businesses, pop-up markets, indoor skate park, music venue and padel tennis courts among the plans for attractions for Teville Gate drawn up by the company that created the Level 1 leisure space at Grafton Multi-Storey car park.
Development partners
Adur & Worthing Councils’ Joint Strategic Committee (JSC) report says QED Sustainable Urban Developments Ltd is the preferred bidder to develop the site. The revamp would be ‘meanwhile use’ for the next three years as the Council seeks to bring forward longer-term proposals to build new homes and retail on the site.
The report proposes a partnership with London and Continental Railways Ltd (LCR) to bring to fruition the homes and retail plan.
LCR is already working with Worthing Borough Council on developing Union Place site, and has invested more than £1m supporting the regeneration of the town since 2018. LCR will take a £1m stake in the Teville Gate site, bought by Worthing Borough Council for £7m in a bid to bring fresh impetus into regeneration efforts – this will secure it 14% of the land.
Leader of Worthing Borough Council, Cllr Kevin Jenkins, said, “This is really good news regarding Teville Gate. Anyone who has been to Level 1 at Grafton will know what QED are capable of and the Teville plans go further than that with an exciting mix of trade and leisure proposed.”
‘Additional facilities for businesses as well as leisure activities’
The report says that if the committee gives the go-ahead and planning permission is awarded, the first of the ‘meanwhile uses’ could be open on Teville Gate in late Spring 2022.
In its pitch, QED says the development would ‘restore a route through to the town centre and bring additional facilities for businesses as well as leisure activities.’
It says the borough has a gap in the market for a 600 to 800 capacity indoor music venue, and plans two indoor padel tennis courts. As well as claiming padel tennis, a mix of tennis and squash is one of the fastest growing sports in Europe.
Before that happens, new attractively-designed hoardings are to be erected and the north/south walkway from the railway station (which closed when the Council demolished the old multi-storey car park) through to the town will be redesigned with new lighting.
In the longer term, subject to approval, the Council and LCR will draw up plans for long term development of the site – including maximising the number of affordable homes to be built there and preparing a marketing plan.
The Council and LCR have already unveiled plans for 170 homes, a hotel, and expanded cinema on the Union Place site.
