A DOUBLE boost is on the cards for Littlehampton town centre later this year.
The Portas’ Project, a Government-backed drive to revitalise town centres, led by retail guru Mary Portas, has awarded a £10,000 starter grant to reinvigorate Littlehampton’s, despite the town failing in a bid last year for £100,000 of funding from the project for a pilot scheme.
The windfall has been announced at the same time that recruitment is underway for a new town centre regeneration officer for Littlehampton.
The successful candidate could be in line to earn between £32,216 and £34,549 a year during a four-year contract, funded by a cash injection from retail giant Sainsbury’s, as a condition of planning approval given by Arun District Council for the redevelopment of its supermarket at the New Road Retail Park in Rustington.
The officer will be working closely with traders, Arun, Littlehampton Town Council, and the Littlehampton Town Team – which was responsible for the Portas’ Pilot bid – to produce a new action plan for the shopping centre.
The town centre regeneration officer will also be expected to develop and promote town centre activities and foster good community relations with residents and traders alike.
Anthony Everitt, Arun’s senior economic development officer, said: “The Littlehampton regeneration officer will help deliver improvements to Littlehampton Town Centre, making sure it remains an attractive place to visit and shop. This is increasingly important, given the alternative choices available to the shopper by out-of-town and online retail options.”
The £10,000 funding will help improve the town centre, although a council spokeswoman recognised that more funds would be required to make significant progress. A similar sum has been awarded to Bognor.
Arun council leader Gill Brown, said: “High streets are important parts of the lives of our towns. Schemes like the Portas’ Project are helping to highlight the importance of looking afresh at these areas and keeping them vibrant. By working together with others like the University of Chichester and businesses, we can make a positive difference to the retail centres and amenities for residents and visitors.”
The closing date for those wishing to apply for the role as regeneration office is Monday. Full details of the vacancy are available at www.arun.gov.uk
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