Message from the Leader of Worthing Borough Council

As the new leader of Worthing Borough Council I'm proud to continue this administration's drive to make Worthing the fairest, greenest coastal town in the UK.

Under the leadership of my predecessor, Dr Beccy Cooper, over the last two years this council has transformed the way we work with and for our residents.

I will continue what Beccy has started to make our town fairer for everyone who lives, works, studies and visits here, working even more closely with our valued community organisations to improve Worthing for all.

As a council for the community, we're committed to being open and transparent with our residents, focusing on the issues that matter most to them across our area and finding new ways to engage and listen to what our communities are telling us.

The election of a new administration in Adur with the same priorities for the area as us means we can work more effectively together to help our communities - with the added benefit of Worthing now having two new Labour MPs to represent us in Westminster.

Years of inadequate central government funding, along with greater demand for our services and the threat of climate change to our environment, has left us needing to transform the way the council works for everyone.

We're using this as an opportunity to redesign our services so that they are quicker and easier for people to use, especially those who have in the past found it more difficult to get the help and assistance they need.

Worthing is in the grip of a housing crisis. Too many of our residents are having to stay in short-term lets or B&Bs outside the area because we do not have anywhere for them to live.

To help tackle that, over the next year we'll use land we already own to build new council homes for local households on our waiting list. We'll also ensure housebuilders help us create new social and affordable homes where we need them, while protecting our greenbelt from development.

We'll continue to support the fantastic Sussex Bay initiative to bring life back to our coastal waters and will look for new ways to increase biodiversity in our parks and streets across the borough.

Our residents have told us that they want a greener town, and soon work will begin on our new green heart for Worthing, Montague Gardens, for everyone visiting our town centre to enjoy.

Our pioneering Worthing Heat Network will also take shape over the coming months, delivering cleaner, greener energy to our first public buildings by next summer. It will play a key part in meeting our commitment to become a carbon-neutral council.

We'll be working with our new MPs and speaking with the new government, explaining the struggles we face and campaigning for extra powers and funding to help us to help our communities.

Instead, by working hand-in-hand with our residents, our community groups, our MPs and other partners, we will together create a new vision for a Worthing that is better for everyone - a town that we can all be proud to be a part of.

Video: Say hello to the new Leader of Worthing Borough Council, Cllr Sophie Cox