Worthing Borough Council has ordered the companies responsible for parts of the Montague Quarter shopping precinct to clean up their areas or face being charged for contractors to carry out the work.
The council says repeated requests have been made to Cayuga Developments and St. Clair Developments, which own separate sections of the precinct, to regularly clean paved areas and tackle problems caused by birds roosting above.
It says pigeon mess continues to affect the appearance of the area and poses a health risk to people using the precinct.
Cayuga Developments has been ordered to clean the paved area between Liverpool Road at TK Maxx and the entrance to Nando’s by Friday, 28 August.
The council has also told the company that the area must be cleaned and maintained on a weekly basis.
If the site is not cleaned satisfactorily by the deadline, or is not maintained afterwards, the council says it will use contractors to carry out the work and bill the owner under powers contained in the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014.
Both Cayuga Developments and St. Clair Developments have also been told to address the problem of birds roosting in the sections of the Montague Quarter they own.
The action forms part of the council’s Pride in Worthing initiative, launched by council leader Councillor Caroline Baxter.
The initiative brings together council teams, partner organisations, businesses, community groups and residents as part of efforts to improve the town.
The council says a more concentrated and regular cleansing routine has already improved parts of Portland Road and Montague Street.
Cllr Baxter said: “The Montague Quarter owners need to put this right, now. We’ve been working with them for months, yet we are still waiting for them to properly address the problem.
“The council is investing in the creation of Montague Gardens and our teams and community volunteers are working through Pride in Worthing to make our town the best that it can be.
“It is completely unacceptable that the poor condition of this privately-owned site is undermining those improvements and adversely affecting the local businesses trading there and in surrounding areas of the town centre.
“The owners of the Montague Quarter need to take responsibility immediately.”
Since the Pride in Worthing initiative was launched a month ago, the council says it has worked with West Sussex County Council, local businesses and members of the community on improvements to the town centre and seafront.
Work has included increased cleansing, refurbishment of seafront shelters, repainting buildings and beginning permanent repairs to Worthing Pier.
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