Adur and Worthing Council commissioned us to listen to the community’s needs and transform Montague Place into a space for everyone to enjoy. Located in the heart of Worthing, there was great potential to create a greener, safer and more attractive space for its residents.
Project Centre engaged community organisations, residents and businesses to gain insight into how the community wanted to improve Montague Place.
Getting a diverse and inclusive range of responses
Our engagement team organised four events to capture ideas from people that live in the area. We wanted to make our events as accessible and inclusive as possible. To achieve this, we made use of both face-to-face and online consultation tools. Our engagement strategy included:
1. Accessibility assessment
We invited disabled and older residents to understand their lived experiences. While walking from the top of the street to the seafront, we gained insights into key issues for these residents. These included a lack of appropriate parking spaces, seating areas and other road accessibility barriers. After the event, we developed an accurate report to ensure our designers are aware and considerate of these challenges.
2. Local business walkabout
This event recorded the views of businesses in proximity to Montague Place. We discussed key concerns and areas of opportunity with over 20 business owners. Together we walked through Montague Place and assessed key points of interest. This included a lack of appropriate lighting, shelter space and outdoor areas.
3. Community world cafe
This event brought together community organisations, offering them “a seat at the table”. The setting fostered creative and collaborative thinking as well as welcome new ideas for the future of the space. Using stimulus images and questions, our team actively encouraged the community to open up, sharing suggestions and needs.
4. Montague Place resident webinar
The webinar brought residents together, breaking barriers related to logistics and privacy concerns. Our multidisciplinary team welcomed new ideas and discussions in the same format as the Community World Cafe. Residents collaborated on Teams whiteboards, writing comments, priorities and key questions.
Hearing the community’s voice
The community’s responses to our events were loud and clear. The workshops helped us to individualise four key areas of intervention:
- The wall in Montague Place: this could be transformed to include more greening elements and community artwork, providing a deeper sense of identity
- Sustainability, greening and the environment: the community expressed interest in creating a more environmentally friendly space, tackling the impacts of pollution on their health and safety
- Function and use: we found that Montague Place should be a space for aggregation, as the community was asking for more events, shopping and dining areas
- Opportunity: we discussed what is missing and what could be included in redeveloping the town centre
Our team worked collaboratively with a local artist. Together, we summarised the key areas and turn them into a graphic visualisation of the community’s needs.
Our design approach
Our multidisciplinary team of designers and engineers developed detailed concept designs for Montague Place. Following the extensive community engagement, our design plans included:
- The replacement of tarmac with attractive and accessible paving
- Planting of 30 new trees, drough-resistant planting, and a lawn area
- The Installation of sociable seating areas for residents, with dedicated spaces for businesses to have outdoor seating
- A new play area with engaging information boards, celebrating Worthing’s seaside heritage
- The creation of a new hospitalit kiosk for vendors to attract visitors and community
Testimonials
“Montague Gardens will breathe new life into the town centre, boost our local economy, attract visitors and provide residents of all ages with a welcoming space to socialise, have fun and enjoy our beautiful town by the sea. It was extremely important for us to involve the community in the design of this new green space and we’re grateful to everyone that took time to take part in our consultations to ensure that the gardens will be accessible to all.”
Cllr Caroline Baxter, Worthing’s Cabinet Member for regeneration
“I am looking forward to seeing the full comprehensive details of these interesting proposals and continuing to build on the successful partnership through the Worthing Growth deal, supporting the sustainable growth of the local economy for the benefit of residents, businesses and visitors.”
Cllr Steve Waight, West Sussex County Council’s Cabinet Member for support services and economic development
