Visions for Bognor Regis and Littlehampton to provide ‘coherent’ regeneration strategy

A total of £100,000 has been included for the work in Arun District Council’s draft budget for 2022/23, which was discussed at an economy committee meeting last Wednesday.

David Edwards (Con, Felpham East) said the documents are ‘crucial’ to ‘bring forward proper regeneration’.

“Bognor Regis has had a significant amount of investment over the last few years,” he said.

“But the majority of that has been out of town, which is why certain people in Bognor Regis perceive that no money has ever been spent.

“We absolutely do need to change that and this vision document will go a long way to helping that happen.”

In an interview last year, Bognor Regis regeneration board chairman called for a re-examination of the policy framework for Bognor Regis town centre.

Independent group leader Tony Dixon (Aldwick East) said he ‘very much supported’ the vision documents but said it was ‘regrettable’ that a call for ideas in September had not been wider.

This comes as multi-million pound work to transform Littlehampton town centre started earlier this month, while over in Bognor Regis the council is also improving Place St Maur next to the Regis Centre near the seafront.

At the meeting, council leader Shaun Gunner (Con, Rustington East) said he was ‘delighted’ to present a budget which focuses on economic regeneration.

He added: “When I became leader of the council last May, one of the things I laid out very clearly in my speech was that this was an administration that would be looking to improve the economic prosperity of this district.

“This budget very clearly begins to take us on that journey.”

The economy committee has agreed to a draft budget which could see £271,000 spent on ‘economic regeneration’ in the next financial year.

This is an increase on the £241,000 budget for regeneration in 2021-2022.

Around £180,000 of the proposed £271,000 will be spent on staffing costs with £90,000 being spent on ‘supplies and services’ and the remaining £1,000 set aside for transport.