We can do better than this

Mr Bleakley was commenting on a Herald revelation that Sussex Police are on the point of selling the acre-plus site to developers who want to fill it mainly with flats.

But this would not be the best outcome for Worthing, said Mr Bleakley, who said the borough council had much bigger ideas for the area which could even include taking over the Chapel Road main post office building.

Sussex Police told the Herald this week that a sale contract was due to be signed within the next month.

The proposed development comprised 14 "affordable" flats, 39 private flats and retail space of 25,000 square feet.

The plan does not incorporate the adjoining NCP car park land, nor any land on the north side of Union Place. A planning application for the scheme has not yet been submitted to the borough council.

Police moved out of the Union Place building last August and speculation has been rife as to what will happen to the land.

The Sussex Police spokeswomen would not reveal the name of the developers, nor the amount they were paying for the land.

Worthing Council has made no secret of the fact that it would like to see a major redevelopment which would include the NCP car park and land on the north side of Union Place, most of which is owned by

Northbrook College and the Post Office.

Mr Bleakley said: "The new council administration has some pretty exciting plans for this site and the town centre as a whole.

"We, as officers, are already working with members to help develop this vision they have for the town centre. An important part of that will clearly be the police station site, the NCP site and land beyond that to the north."

Mr Bleakley said the police site planning application would be dealt with "fairly and properly", but one of the driving forces would be the Local Plan, agreed only last September.

"This allocates the police station site and the Union Place car park for non-food retail development, possibly some leisure development, and it doesn't rule out a limited amount of residential development on the upper floors," he said.

"My initial reaction to the sort of scheme being put forward is that we have to look pretty carefully at it because of that policy.

"We have to look at the long-term, bigger picture, not sites being developed in isolation. It is a big site and it should be developed comprehensively in order to get the best for Worthing."

Mr Bleakley said the council had had an informal approach from the prospective police site buyers, who were told that the council had clear expectations of the right development there.

"We would like to see a comprehensive and exciting development. I think it would be very disappointing if this site was developed piecemeal.

"A comprehensive development could link through to the Guildbourne Centre and could even include a multi-screen cinema."

Mr Bleakley said using the Post Office site was one of the options to be investigated in the future. The

Post Office might have aspirations to leave the building as part of its drive to slim down and become more efficient.

"The building is a very prominent and I am sure some people will say 'Save the Post Office building', and it is an issue we will have to address. Maybe we could maintain the facade and use the land behind."