A massive new shopping centre could be built in a town to replace an ageing "white elephant" eyesore.

Plans are well underway to replace Worthing's Guildbourne Centre with a state of the art mall similar to Brighton's Churchill Square.

Under the proposals, the existing building, which lays half empty and was built in the 1970s, will be torn down.

Builders would then construct a completely new shopping centre on the same site and expand into land at the adjacent Union Place car park.

There also remains the possibility that the Connaught Theatre, in Union Place, could also be bulldozed to make further room.

The overall retail space would be far higher than at present and individual shops would also be bigger.

A "flagship" store, similar to the Debenhams in Churchill Square, would dominate the mall, according to the proposals.

Worthing Borough Council cabinet member Ann Barlow told The Argus: "We are confident that is what the people of Worthing want.

"It would be a very upmarket shopping centre, with great shops and help to put the town back on the map."

Studies into the viability of the plans have already been carried out and it is hoped, should the cabinet approve the move, an investor and operator for the shopping centre would then be sought.

The Argus can also reveal that councillors have discussed the possibility of banning cars from an entire stretch of Worthing's seafront, in a bid to attract more tourists.

Under the plan, the area from Steyne Gardens to the Lido would be pedestrianised allowing fuller access to the promenade from the town centre for those on foot.

Traffic would be re-routed elsewhere in the town.

The plans are part of a range of new developments in Worthing, which politicans hope will rejuvenate its fortunes and attract millions of pounds of further investment and tourist revenue.

In the coming months, new seafront art costing £70,000 is to be built - with the promise of more to follow.

Mosaic paving is to be laid in Montague Street and major road safety improvements are to be made to help protect pedestrians.

Coun Barlow said: "The public has, possibly rightly, said in the past that things have been moving slowly.

"But we are now starting to see real movement, real development, and things happening."

Marks and Spencer has also told The Argus it plans to start the major redevelopment of its store in Montague Street, on Monday.

The refurb, reportedly set to cost £12 million, will see a new cafe overlooking the promenade at the seafront entrance to the store.

The shop will remain open throughout the work, which is due for completion in September.

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