A dying High Street could be given a shot in the arm with derelict buildings being demolished to make way for new shops and flats.

Selsey High Street has been in decline for decades.

It features a hotchpotch of decaying Sixties blocks and thatched cottages.

In a survey last year, a quarter of people described the town as "bland" and 24 per cent said it was "neglected".

The remaining 51 per cent said it was historic, quaint or attractive.

Chichester District Council has put together the Selsey High Street improvement study, which would see the most run-down buildings cleared to make way for showpiece shops and homes.

The idea is to bring in a top quality development leading to the gentrification of the area, as happened in Marylebone High Street, London.

The first target is St Wilfrid's Walk, at 110 High Street, the most hated building in the town.

Most of the block has been empty for ten years.

Drug addicts keep breaking in and there have been several attempts to burn it down.

The council has now issued an ultimatum to the building's owner.

He has until the start of December to either renovate or demolish the building or the council will force him to sell up and knock it down, leaving the path clear for a developer to build something new.

Eddie Vines, 74, a member of Selsey Town Council, said: "It has been left to rot for so long but we are finally getting some action.

"It is going to make a tremendous difference to the town if it is knocked down. It has been an eyesore for so long."

He said changes in Government planning guidance made it easier for councils to issue compulsory purchase orders, which would make a difference to the town.

The study also recommends rebuilding the old town cinema and telephone exchange to create a focal point that would become the "heart of Selsey" and have a knock on effect, leading to other buildings being improved.

Trish Greenwood, 52, has lived in Selsey all her life. She said: "Unless we get rid of that eyesore St Wilfrid's Walk, we are not going to breathe new life into Selsey."

Monday, August 15, 2005