Worthing is widely seen as one of Britain's underrated seaside gems, with Art Deco buildings, an award-winning beach and the 100-year-old Pier Pavilion. It has earned a reputation as a top destination for independent shopping, with more than 560 independent businesses, according to the Worthing Town Centre BID.
But behind the shopfronts, business owners who spoke to the Daily Express say they are facing some of the toughest conditions in years. From the cost-of-living crisis and the lingering impact of the COVID pandemic to recent decisions by the Labour Government and local authorities, many say their livelihoods are under pressure. Now, a newly elected council without a clear majority has added to the uncertainty.
'It's been hard'
Lorette Sprackling, 56, has owned ladies' clothing store Bijou Boutique for 13 years. As the Express visited her Warwick Street shop, a steady stream of loyal customers came through the door, stopping to chat while browsing the rails - something Sprackling said has kept the business alive through difficult times.
"It's been hard," she said. "And since the Labour Government has got in, it's got harder."
Increases to employer National Insurance contributions and the National Living Wage forced Sprackling to reduce staffing by half, leaving her with just one employee. She added that the character of the town itself has also changed.
"It's filthy now," she complained, pointing to increased homelessness, street drinking and the perceived lack of policing in town. At the end of last year, Worthing Borough Council said it expected to spend 30% of its annual budget on homelessness, with cases rising over the last three years.
Heat network disruption
Visiting the shop, another local business owner, Julia Rochford, 66, who runs Eclectic Home & Gallery, joined the conversation. She agreed with Sprackling, telling the Express she feels that the council had focused on the wrong priorities.
"They're spending money unnecessarily on things that don't need doing," she said, saying that the biggest challenge over the past year has been the disruption caused by Worthing Borough Council's heat network project.
The multi-million-pound scheme by the investor and developer Hemiko aims to provide low-carbon heating to public buildings, including the theatre, museums and council offices. But all of the businesses the Express talked to said that long months of roadworks caused the loss of parking spaces, dramatically reducing footfall.
"There was no compensation at all for all the business we lost when they were digging up," Sprackling said.
Rochford added: "It's a heating service that we never see any benefit to. My business is just along from the roadworks, and we really suffered because of it. They're causing havoc."
A changing high street
Just a few doors away, another independent retailer shared many of the same concerns. Piper, 54, opened Sabotage Gallery and Concept Store around two years ago after moving from Brighton. While she described the shop as more of a creative community project than a profit-making business, she admitted trading has been "slow".
"We're not in any debt," she said. "But we don't really make any money. It's more about (...) a nice place to work and a nice place for Worthing."
She praised local appetite for independent shopping and said local Labour councillors were good at promoting her store. However, when told Worthing's retail vacancy rate is around 2%, according to the BID, she argued that the figure masks a change in the make-up of the high street. She said many vacant units have been replaced by vape shops, barbers and international food stores, some of which have been closed for illegal tobacco products and vapes.
'Tough' trading conditions
Graeme Roche, 53, an entrepreneur and co-founder of Independent Worthing, which promotes local businesses, agreed the Hemiko project had taken a heavy toll. He said one of the worst-affected businesses was The Venue, an independent theatre and live music venue. At one point, the business was down 60% on music shows because of the works.
"They literally had a trench dug around the whole venue," Roche said. "They were having to cancel shows because people couldn't even get into the building."
He believes businesses should have received far more communication and support throughout the works.
He added: "Businesses were sitting there with their doors open but literally no one was coming into town because people couldn't park."
"If we're going to meet environmental goals, then yes, it's a worthwhile project. The issue is how it's managed."
When asked about the current trading conditions in town, Roche answered simply: "tough". But he argued many of the challenges are national rather than unique to Worthing.
"Businesses are fighting ever-increasing costs. Rents are going up, bills are going up, costs of products are going up, and people are worried about spending money."
Rather than blaming one political party, he believes successive governments have failed to understand the pressures facing independent traders.
"I'm not going to blame it on left or right politics," he said. "I'm going to blame it on governments not understanding small businesses."
Despite everything, he believes Worthing remains a unique place because of its independent spirit and loyal community - qualities that traders hope can help secure the town's future.
Council response
A spokesperson for Worthing Borough Council said: "We are committed to ensuring Worthing is a town that our residents and businesses can be proud of, which is why we've made improving the appearance of our town centre a renewed priority."
"Our cleansing teams work hard every day to keep the town centre looking its best, and we're fortunate to be supported by fantastic local businesses and volunteers who generously give their time to help keep our shopping areas clean and welcoming."
"We know there is always more we can do, and we're reviewing our budgets to identify further investment in our town centre despite the financial pressures facing the council. We're also working with the owners of privately-managed areas, including the Montague Centre, to seek improvements that will help create an even more attractive environment, such as by jet-washing roads, pavements and walls."
"We recognise that the construction of the first phase of the Worthing Heat Network created disruption for businesses, residents and visitors. Throughout the project, regular engagement took place with traders and other stakeholders to share updates, listen to feedback and help ensure the impact of the works was minimised wherever possible. We agreed a summer embargo with Hemiko to ensure our popular open spaces will be available for events through the school holidays, and the company is also using new tunnelling technology to minimise the impact of its work on our roads, pavements and parks."
"Our town centre offers more than 1,500 parking spaces, with charges that remain highly competitive compared with many nearby shopping destinations. We believe they represent excellent value for money considering everything our town centre has to offer."
