UK Victorian seaside town that inspired Oscar Wilde play to get huge £3million revamp that ‘starts in weeks'

The Irish Sun

19-05-2025

A VICTORIAN seaside town that inspired Oscar Wilde's most famous play is to be given a multi-million pound makeover.
Work to transform Worthing town centre with performance areas, hospitality kiosk and a living "green wall" is due to begin in the next few weeks.
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The original design zone was branded 'a waste of money' with a 'silly design' at a huge cost to the taxpayer
The move to revamp the area comes after residents deemed the original design of the newly pedestrianised zone a "waste of money" and criticised its "tacky" design.
"Wiggly" white lines were added to a new tarmac surface in 2022 as part of a £178,000 scheme to make its town centre car-free and 'brighten up' the area.
The lines will now be removed with the area at the centre of a £3.1m renovation project to create a community space, dubbed Montague Gardens.
The project, a joint venture between Worthing Borough Council and West Sussex County Council, will also include lawn space and children's play equipment.
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'Wiggly' white lines were added to the new tarmac surface
Work on the project is expected to take 15 to 18 months, a spokesperson for Worthing Borough Council said.
A spokesperson for the council confirmed to The Sun the work is due to begin in the "next couple of weeks".
One resident who is looking forward to the latest development in the area is Susan Belton, chair of the Worthing Society, which openly criticised the "wiggly lines" scheme".
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"We weren't happy with those lines at all," she told The Sun. "They just weren't in keeping with the historical context of the area, which dates back to 1783.
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"There are many listed buildings in that area and we need more of a red brick setting than what is there at present."
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Final designs for the new green space, to be called Montague Gardens, have been agreed after input from residents, access groups, businesses and community groups
Worthing Borough Council said the original design was a temporary measure which was then followed by public consultation.
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The space, which will connect Montague Street to Worthing seafront, will be paid for by £2.7 million of funds raised from developers building in the area, as well as £400,000 from West Sussex County Council.
The space will be inspired by early-19th Century
Montague Gardens is the third such project to begin in Worthing alongside previous improvements to Portland Road and ongoing construction works in Railway Approach.
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The project forms part of the public realm regeneration programme within the current Worthing Growth Deal
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The projects are part of wider regeneration plans for the town centre as part of the Worthing Growth Deal between the councils.
While the area under development dates back to the 18th century, in the summer of 1894 Irish playwright Oscar Wilde spent two months in the seaside town, initially with his wife Constance and his two young sons.
It was during this holiday that he wrote his most famous play, The Importance of Being Earnest, with Wilde believed to have named the main protagonist, Jack Worthing, in honour of the Victorian town.
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As well as inspiring Oscar Wilde, Worthing has also been an inspiration to James Bond director Sam Mendes
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The resort was also the inspiration for acclaimed Hollywood and James Bond director
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Susan added she was pleased the council had listened to residents and performed a U-turn.
"I think the fact residents and our society came out against the original design had something to do with the change in direction," she said. "I'm just glad the council listened to the historical context of the area."