Campaigners fight to stop commercialisation of Worthing's Denton Gardens
The group has accused Worthing Borough Council of pressing ahead with plans for an adventure golf course and café without proper consultation
Last updated 24th Nov 2021
A group of campaigners are calling on Worthing Borough Council to put a stop to plans which would commercialise the historic Denton Gardens.
Friends of Denton Gardens has launched a petition against the plans, which would see the local authority build and operate an adventure golf course and café.
Nadine Barber from the group says converting the gardens for commercial use is "completely wrong".
She said: "There's a yoga group, the rowing club use it for their exercise in the summer, families go and picnic there. It's an amenity for the public.
"Worthing isn't Brighton or Bognor, it doesn't have that same razzmatazz. It has other qualities. I think it's a big mistake to try and compete with Brighton because there's no way we'd beat Brighton on that front."
Krishna Waran, also from Friends of Denton Gardens continued: "They (Worthing Borough Council) didn't have any consultative process themselves that said the town wanted an adventure golf course and a café.
"We did a consultative process that showed many people like us think this is a bad idea, but they're driving on with it!
"Once the decision is made, if it's made the wrong way as far as we're concerned, we will be organising some protest meetings, some parades and some lobbying of councillors".
Nadine has written an open letter to the council, in which she asks for "a full Council debate on this whole matter to let in some air and some much needed transparency".
She also asks why a deadline set by the council for bidders on the site was "disregarded" for one bidder.
The gardens were gifted to Worthing back in 1922 by Alderman J.G. Denton. While the group fights to keep the gardens in use by the public today, they also think it important to preserve their history.
Krishna explained the vision J.G. Denton had in mind for the space nearly 100 years ago.
He said: "He didn't want noise, he didn't want high buildings or permanent structures. He wanted it to be a peaceful place away from the hustle and bustle of the promenade and that's what we're trying to preserve".
In response, Worthing Borough Council have said: 'This site has long been identified in the Seafront Investment Plan as a place to enhance our leisure offer. This has become even more apparent with COVID and the increased demand for outdoor recreation spaces, which also pull people into the town centre / seafront.
'At the moment, we're only seeking expressions of interest to gauge the market. Any developer / operator will be required to obtain relevant permissions, which provides an opportunity for neighbours and other impacted parties to formally respond to plans.
'The current operator has been spoken to and is aware of the situation. They will have this season to operate but we're starting the process now with the aim of getting a new agreement in place for Spring 2022.
'In terms of the café, we're expecting this to only be secondary / ancillary rather than the main function. This will be looked at in reference to the proposals but we're very conscious it needs to compliment what is already in the area'.