Worthing town centre enjoying one of the fastest recoveries in the UK

Worthing town centre is experiencing one of the fastest post-lockdown recoveries of any town in the UK, data has revealed.
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Activity on Worthing’s high street is the 7th highest of all the UK’s cities and large towns, according to economic think tank Centre for Cities.

The company tracks people’s movements through their mobile phones and awards areas a rating based on activity in the town centre.

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It found Worthing has returned to 56 per cent of its pre-lockdown activity levels – five points behind national leader Basildon.

Queues have been seen outside Sports Direct in Montague Street, Worthing, this morning (June 15)Queues have been seen outside Sports Direct in Montague Street, Worthing, this morning (June 15)
Queues have been seen outside Sports Direct in Montague Street, Worthing, this morning (June 15)

Town centre manager Sharon Clarke said the figures showed Worthing has the potential to enjoy a strong revival.

People are coming back and it’s improving week on week,” she said.

“Our open spaces, with an outdoor town centre and great local businesses, show we have the potential to come out of this with a really bright future.

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“Worthing has a very loyal local public, but it’s all about people feeling safe.”

Sharon said people ‘fear the unknown’ and it was only by going into town and seeing safety measures that they could feel more comfortable.

The pandemic has seen social trends, such as more online shopping, accelerate, which has in turn encouraged Worthing Borough Council to speed up some of its developments.

The planned pedestrianisation of Portland Road has been brought forward and Montague Place has also been closed off, with outdoor seating to encourage the long sought after ‘continental style’ experience.

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Figures show more than half of the people working in the town centre also live there, a trend which the council has been encouraging with more residential units in the centre.

Lockdown has of course had a massive impact on that figure, with far fewer people coming from out of town or even working at all, but the statistics point to what could become the norm for Worthing.

Sharon said most retailers were optimistic for the future and the lockdown is seen as a ‘hiccup’ rather than a death knell.

Fifteen businesses have closed since March, she said, but only two of those due to coronavirus. The others were all expected to close before the pandemic hit and many vacancies are already under offer.

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“Worthing businesses have invested a lot of time and money in staying safe,” Sharon said.

“The Government are saying it’s safe to go to the pubs and restaurants and the cinema, so I would say to the public just give it a go.

“Come into the town centre, try it out, if you don’t like it then you can leave it a bit until you feel more comfortable.

“It’s going to be a slow burn, but certainly it is a huge relief for businesses to be able to trade again and get some money back in the tills.”