Car park closure may continue amid safety concerns

Councillors will be asked to approve the continued closure of a car park in Worthing which was forced to shut last month due to concerns over unstable concrete.

Specialist engineers have been assigned to investigate the Grafton multi-storey car park after recent inspections raised safety concerns about the building.

Members of Worthing Borough Council (WBC) will later be asked to consider a report on the car park's condition, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The cabinet will also consider a report to return in July to discuss the future regeneration on the site alongside assessing the progress made since the initial closure on May 16.

In a note requested by WBC, HOP Consulting Civil and Structural Engineers said it supported the closure of the car park until further notice.

It said: "Our note outlines that there are risks of failing/falling parts of the structure that threaten the safety of the public, users of the car park and is dangerous.

"Hence, we agree it is appropriate to close the whole of the car park for urgent investigation and review."

According to HOP, the monitoring approach used for several years to manage the "resulting overhead debris risk" is becoming "increasingly unreliable at pre-empting overhead debris detachment".

The car park, which is over 60 years old, was closed because of am unstable High Alumina Cement beam.

In November 2023, Worthing Borough Council announced plans to sell and demolish Grafton car park, a move which had first been mooted in 2007.

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