Union Place car park in Worthing will close for good

NCP has now confirmed that the Union Place car park in Worthing will close for good on Thursday, March 5.

The closure is making way for a housing scheme, now named Union Gardens, which will comprise 216 new homes.

Worthing developer Roffey Homes has completed the first stage of its purchase of the Union Place site from Worthing Borough Council.

The development will feature a mix of one, two and three-bedroom homes, live/work units, 5,000 sq ft of commercial space and three first-floor podium gardens.

The Union Place site, situated between the Connaught Theatre and the High Street, comprises three parcels of land, including the NCP surface car park and the former police station site.

Residents expressed their disappointment at the news on social media with many saying the closure would have a “big impact” on the theatre and cinema.

“Just found out they are shutting the car park in Union Place,” said one. “Where are we supposed to park when using the Connaught Theatre?”

“How many more car parks will close,” said one social media user. “No businesses will be able to survive and no one will go into town”

Another branded the news a “disgrace”.

“There is [sic] no car parks in Worthing, no park and ride, you might as well turn all the shops to coffee and vape shops,” he said.

The news comes amidst a challenging time for Worthing town centre.

Developer and heat operator Hemiko has been carrying out works to install an underground heat network in Worthing town centre.

The first phase of the project has been completed with phase two due to begin soon

The first phase caused disruption in the town centre with businesses reporting a drop in footfall and profits during this time, leaving them fearing for their survival. 

The announcement follows the closure of another car park in Worthing.

Grafton multi-storey car park in Marine Parade, Worthing closed suddenly in May due to “concrete inside the car park failing”.

In September Worthing Borough Council announced it “won’t reopen in its current form before the site is redeveloped, with the focus instead being on transforming the site into a valuable regeneration project for the seafront and town centre”.