A leading councillor has said he is appalled at how much of historic Worthing had been lost to line the pockets of "get-quick-rich" developers.

Now a survey of the town's architectural heritage is being undertaken to record in detail what is left.

Councillor Chris Sargent, the borough council's executive member for planning and economic development, said: "Worthing must go forward and keep up with progress in the real world.

"However, in common with many Worthing residents, I am appalled at how much of historic Worthing has been lost, only to be replaced with ugly, inferior developments built by the get-rich-quick sector."

The council has appointed Saville Jones Architects to carry out a comprehensive survey to identify and record buildings and features of architectural or historic interest.

The project will cover every street in the borough and produce an electronic record of the findings.

Every significant building and feature will be photographed, a brief description attached and ultimately a public record will be produced in compact disc form.

The purpose of the project is not only to produce a record of Worthing's heritage in 2003 but to engage the interest of Worthing residents in the conservation of what remains.

Coun Sargent said: "I hope residents will use this information to challenge unworthy development proposals in the future.

"While Worthing must move with the times, we must not allow every past worthy thing to be swept away without some compensatory and overwhelming benefit to our town."

The public is invited to nominate buildings and other significant features for inclusion in the survey, which should be published in the spring.

Write to Mr Sargent at the Town Hall, Worthing, West Sussex BN11 1HA