Worthing church given permission to open in shopping centre

According to its website, Jubilee Church holds its Sunday services at Worthing High School in South Farm Road with its office in St Dunstan’s Road near West Worthing Railway Station.

It has spent the last 15 years looking for a permanent home and its latest attempt has seen it submit an application for part of the first floor of the Guildbourne Centre so the space can be used as a church, conference centre, general community space and flexible working space.

These plans won unanimous support from members of Worthing Borough Council’s planning committee late last month.

The space has been vacant since 2001 and councillors were very much in favour of plans to bring it back into use.

Alex Beaken, senior pastor at Jubilee Church, explained how they had been looking for a permanent home for the past 15 years and would be looking to invest £1million in their new home if planning permission was secured.

He said: “What a fantastic opportunity to put something full of life, something vibrant, something up there which community groups can use, businesses can use, which can be let out for conference space and which we want to use as a church.”

The church’s plans were enthusiastically backed by councillors.

Paul High (Con, Heene), chairman of the committee, said: “I love this. That has been a dead duck or a white elephant and to get that occupied and used seven days a week I think it’s a brilliant idea and I will certainly be supporting it.”

Martin McCabe (LDem, Tarring) added: “It’s an inventive use of the space and it’s community focused. It’s been a shambles up at the top of the Guildbourne Centre ever since I’ve been here.”

Jim Deen (Lab, Central) added: “It’s been a disgrace to the town that that space has not been used for that length of time. It needs a good use. This for me is an excellent use particularly the community involvement element.”