Divisions continue of Littlehampton Swimming and Sports Centre

Just weeks after a cross-party working group of councillors recommended the centre should be rebuilt on its seafront location, the cabinet has now backed proposals for a new leisure facility elsewhere in the town.

The decision, taken on Monday night (February 11), followed strong advice from David Geddes, of consultants Colliers International, that spending £14.5m on a new site would give Arun a leisure centre fit for the next 40-50 years, while a major refurbishment/rebuilding of Littlehampton Swimming and Sports Centre would last for only 10-15 years.

Dr James Walsh, Liberal Democrat Arun councillor for Beach ward, and chairman of the leisure, tourism and infrastructure working group which recommended the rebuilding, claimed afterwards the consultation on the draft leisure strategy, which included the proposals for the leisure centre, had been “a sham”.

“Arun said it would listen to the people, and carefully consulted over 2.000 individuals.

“The vast majority, 52 per cent, said they wished to retain the current site, as against 17 per cent who wanted a new site near to The Littlehampton Academy.

“The working group, attended by many other councillors and cabinet, after a long presentation, also decided to accept one of the two options put forward by Colliers and council officers, to ‘substantially reconfigure and modernise the existing centre by 2020.

“Yet Arun’s all-Tory Cabinet decided to ignore overwhelming public opinion, the recommendation of its own (mostly Conservative) working group, and introduced a new recommendation to build on an unspecified site, in the north of the town, as it “may cost less”, and would make travel easier.

“Ignoring the fact that it would actually be more difficult for most residents of Rustington to access, probably have less car-parking and that no funding was yet identified, this decision shows yet again the ‘we know best’ attitude of the Arun cabinet.”

Mr Geddes told the cabinet that a new centre, possibly in the north of the town, would be more likely to attract funding as it would be nearer The Littlehampton Academy. It would have bigger and better facilities than could be provided at the existing site.

“I’m 100 per cent convinced that the right choice for the council and the people of this district would be to build a new leisure centre in the north of Littlehampton.”

Thursday’s Gazette (February 21) will include details of the other recommendations on the strategy taken by the cabinet.

Arun’s full council will make its final decision next month.