Walk through Worthing today and there are signs of change almost everywhere.

New housing developments have changed parts of the skyline. The seafront continues to attract investment. Montague Gardens has just officially opened following a £3.1 million redevelopment. Work is continuing around the pier, the lido remains part of future regeneration discussions, and attention is increasingly turning towards how the town centre should develop in the years ahead.

Now Worthing Borough Council is asking residents to help shape a new masterplan for the town centre and seafront.

The plan is intended to influence projects, investment and improvements over approximately the next ten years. Residents are currently being asked which places they value, which areas need improvement, what new facilities or public spaces they would like to see and where transport or accessibility could be improved.

But perhaps the discussion needs to go even further.

What kind of town do we actually want Worthing to be in 2036?

Because many of the decisions facing Worthing are not simply questions of whether something is "good" or "bad".

They involve genuine trade-offs.

Should Worthing become bigger and busier?

Worthing has changed enormously from the seaside town many long-term residents remember.

More homes can mean more customers for shops, restaurants and local businesses. Greater population density can help support public transport and breathe new life into a town centre facing the same pressures as high streets across Britain.

Development can also bring investment into the town.

Worthing's recently completed Montague Gardens, for example, was largely funded through £2.7 million from the Community Infrastructure Levy, money paid by developers, alongside £400,000 of pooled business rates.

But development creates other questions.

How many additional homes can Worthing comfortably accommodate?

Can roads, GP surgeries, schools, parking and other infrastructure keep pace?

And at what point does increasing density begin changing the character of the town itself?

Would residents welcome taller buildings if they provided much-needed homes?

Or should preserving Worthing's existing skyline and character take priority?

There is no universally correct answer.

But it is a conversation worth having.

Cars or people?

Few subjects divide towns quite as reliably as transport.

One vision of a modern town centre involves fewer cars, wider pedestrian areas, improved cycling infrastructure, better public transport and more spaces where people can sit, eat and socialise.

Supporters argue that attractive pedestrian environments encourage people to spend longer in town centres and can improve quality of life.

Others see things very differently.

For elderly residents, disabled people, families, tradespeople and those travelling from surrounding areas, the car may not be an optional luxury.

If driving into Worthing becomes increasingly inconvenient, will people switch to buses and bicycles?

Or will they simply shop somewhere else?

Worthing's masterplan consultation specifically asks residents how they move around the town, which routes work well and what their future vision for transport should be.

So what should Worthing prioritise?

More pedestrianisation, or easier access for motorists?

And can the town realistically achieve both?

What should the seafront become?

Worthing's seafront is arguably its greatest natural asset.

It is also valuable commercial space.

Restaurants, cafés, leisure attractions and events can bring visitors into the town, create jobs and support the local economy.

But there is another argument.

The beach and promenade belong to everyone.

Should large parts of Worthing's seafront remain relatively simple public spaces where somebody can enjoy the coast without needing to spend anything?

Or is Worthing failing to make enough of an asset that could attract significantly more visitors and investment?

How much commercial development is enough?

Would residents welcome more restaurants, attractions, entertainment and nightlife along the coast?

Or does that risk turning something special into something overly developed?

Do we want another Brighton?

It is a comparison that inevitably appears whenever Worthing's future is discussed.

Brighton has tourism, nightlife, major entertainment venues, huge visitor numbers and a nationally recognised identity.

Worthing is quieter.

For some people, that is precisely the attraction.

There is an argument that Worthing should be more ambitious, attracting larger businesses, more visitors, major events and greater outside investment.

There is an equally valid argument that Worthing should not try to become Brighton at all.

Perhaps its strength lies in being different.

Should Worthing aim to become a major South Coast destination in its own right?

Or should it protect the quieter identity that attracted many residents here in the first place?

What should happen to the town centre?

The traditional British high street is changing.

Online shopping means simply filling every unit with conventional retail may no longer be realistic.

Town centres increasingly contain a mixture of restaurants, leisure, services, entertainment, workplaces and housing alongside shops.

Worthing will have to decide what its centre is actually for.

Should more residential development be encouraged above and around shopping areas?

Should empty commercial units become homes?

Should Worthing actively try to attract major national brands?

Or should the emphasis be on independent businesses that give the town a distinct identity?

And if residents want independent businesses, how do we create an environment in which those businesses can actually survive?

Investment or basic maintenance?

This may be one of the most interesting debates of all.

Big regeneration projects are visible.

Clean streets, repaired paving, functioning toilets, maintained planting, graffiti removal and basic upkeep are less glamorous.

But residents notice both.

The council itself has recently acknowledged the importance of maintenance. Council leader Caroline Baxter announced a renewed focus earlier this year on cleansing, jet washing and upkeep of town-centre infrastructure. The council has also taken enforcement action over the condition of privately owned areas of the Montague Quarter.

So where should the priority lie?

Would residents prefer another major transformation project?

Or should more resources go towards maintaining what Worthing already has?

Of course, the money available for different projects does not necessarily come from the same pot, and some regeneration funding cannot simply be redirected into everyday services.

But the wider question remains important.

What makes the biggest difference to how people actually experience their town?

Montague Gardens gives us an early glimpse of that debate

The newly opened Montague Gardens is an interesting example.

The former Montague Place has been transformed with planting, seating, new paving, a lawn, performance space, lighting, outdoor areas for businesses and a children's play feature.

The council says the £3.1 million scheme is intended to create a stronger link between the town centre and seafront, encourage footfall and support businesses.

Some residents will see exactly the sort of investment Worthing needs.

Others may question whether millions of pounds could produce greater benefits elsewhere.

Both questions are legitimate.

More importantly, Montague Gardens will ultimately be judged over years, not during its opening weekend.

Will people use it?

Will businesses benefit?

Will the planting mature successfully?

Will it remain clean and properly maintained?

The council says the landscaping currently has a two-year maintenance contract, while routine cleaning will form part of normal town-centre works.

Time will tell whether the project achieves its aims.

And who should Worthing be designed for?

Perhaps this is the question underneath almost every other one.

Young people want somewhere to go.

Families need facilities.

Older residents need accessibility.

Businesses need customers.

Visitors need reasons to come.

Motorists need access.

Cyclists want safe routes.

Residents need homes.

Developers need viable projects.

Independent businesses need affordable premises and footfall.

And everybody wants Worthing to remain somewhere worth living.

Those interests will not always align.

Planning the future of a town therefore cannot simply mean making it "better".

We first have to decide what better means.

Worthing is also approaching a bigger political change

There is another reason this conversation matters now.

The council says the masterplan is being developed as Worthing approaches Local Government Reorganisation and is intended, among other things, to help strengthen Worthing's position within the emerging mayoral strategic authority.

It is being developed through the Worthing Growth Deal programme with West Sussex County Council.

Whatever the eventual structure of local government looks like, having a clear idea of Worthing's priorities could therefore become increasingly important.

So let us ask Worthing

Forget political parties for a moment.

Forget whether you support or oppose one particular development.

Imagine you were given responsibility for Worthing until 2036.

What would you do?

Would you build more homes?

Would you limit high-rise development?

Would you pedestrianise more streets?

Would you create more parking?

Would you attract larger businesses?

Would you support independents?

Would you invest heavily in the seafront?

Would you protect it from further commercial development?

Would you create more nightlife?

Would you prioritise families?

Would you spend more on parks and public spaces?

Would you concentrate on simply keeping the town cleaner and better maintained?

And perhaps most importantly:

What is the one thing about Worthing that you would refuse to allow anyone to change?

Worthing Borough Council's current town centre and seafront masterplan consultation closes on 13 September 2026. Feedback will then be considered alongside stakeholder discussions, with a draft masterplan expected in winter and publication currently anticipated in spring 2027.

The official consultation can be found here: Worthing Town Centre and Seafront Masterplan consultation