I don’t usually go around taking photographs of piles of rubble or of holes in the ground but on Sunday I was in Worthing in Sussex, UK and saw an unpleasant sight.
The mound used to be Worthing’s Aart deco Beach Hotel but now, as you can see, it is no more.
I wrote a blog last August about the planning permission that had been granted to the developers who had bought this venerable Worthing landmark (“Worthing’s Art Deco Beach Hotel” 12 August 2011) but I never quite gave up hope for its survival.
It was not to be and no matter how wonderful the new building turns out to be, this is another blot on Worthing’s shameful disregard for its art deco heritage.
If only the voices of those conservationist groups who lobbied in support of preserving the square wood columns of that heritage structure was heard, we would still be seeing that. The local government certainly owes the next generation that treasure.
It is very suspicious that all the new developments in Worthing are being built by the same company – bland bland bland without any other developers getting a look in. I think Worthing should change its name to Roffeyville
Interesting to hear this Anonymous Commentator. I wonder if anyone else has news of this.