Plea to keep new theatre complex affordable for all

Cllr Paul Wells said talk of a luxury attraction as part of the redevelopment of the Hotham Arts Centre/Regis Centre site risked ignoring the fact people who lived nearby also had to be able to enjoy a night out there.

Research by tourism experts Locum Consulting for developer St Modwen Properties showed that a 500-seat performing arts auditorium coupled with three further auditoriums of 150, 100 and 50 seats could have a viable future as a unique attraction on the south coast.

The main auditorium '“ with flexible seating '“ could be used for stage and screen nights as well as conferences, exhibitions and banquets and have a standing capacity of about 700.

One of the operators known to be interested is Everyman Media with its upmarket cinema in the posh north London suburb of Hampstead. The company is keen to expand and the Observer revealed in October 2005 it wanted to open in Bognor.

Locum managing director Sean Young said the company's research showed people would be willing to travel up to 45 minutes to enjoy the experience of the new 7-9m venue in Bognor with a brasserie to add to the pleasures of the night out in high quality surroundings. It would form part of a larger entertainment complex with other crowd pullers such as a ten pin bowling alley

But Cllr Wells (Bognor Hotham) told Arun District Council's Bognor Regis sub-committee's debate about the Locum report: 'It is all very well to talk about welcoming people into the area but I am also keen to make sure that, when this regeneration proceeds, we provide a good opportunity for people who live locally to go along.

'Over many, many years Bognor has been let down when it comes to regeneration. This is the one opportunity we have got it get this right for the town and get the right facility in place for the community.'

Mistake after mistake had been made on that crucial site during the past three decades, he continued, one of which was the arts centre which had eaten up so much money over the past 25 years.

'Clearly, we have got to move forward but I am not entirely happy with the recommendations in terms of the capacity of this new entertainment facility. I am not happy with the ingredients and I have reservations.'

He abstained from the vote to accept Locum's report but the sub-committee's other four members approved the contents at the meeting last Friday, May 25.

However, the decision to work with St Modwen to establish the level of firm interest from potential operators of the new venue was made unanimously by the sub-committee. Members also agreed to talk to current arts centre operator Arun Arts and Inspire Leisure, which runs sports facilities, to see if they are interested in running the new facility.

The sub-committee decided as well to back the district council's previous stance that the new theatre/cinema would not require a council subsidy, would add value to the overall development of the site and to the town and meet the needs of the community.

It was also agreed by members that St Modwen was asked to confirm that a building '“ originally intended as an arts centre '“ would still be developed on the promenade/beach as its original plans last May showed. Its use has to be agreed with Arun but it would not be used for housing.

The sub-committee's decisions will be given to the full meeting of Arun next Wednesday, June 6, for approval.

Sub-committee chairman Cllr Norman Dingemans (Walberton) said the Locum report showed the redevelopment had started in the right direction.

'We have said all along that what we are going to produce has to be at least as good as or better than what we have got now. That's what we are proposing.

'This is the opening salvo. We are not taking about lining up the final operator at this stage. We are talking about the concept.'

District council leader Cllr Gill Brown (Aldwick East) added that Locum's research showed the venue could make money and present amateur and community events as well as professional productions. 'This is the beginning of the process, not the end. It is a very positive start. You have to bear in mind that this auditorium is only part of the overall development, even though it is an exciting part,' she stated.

It is not known when work will begin on the redevelopment but if the provisional timetable between the council and St Modwen is kept the company will have to submit a planning application for the work by July 2008.

l Cllr Francis Oppler (Bognor Orchard) told the sub-committee he did not believe a need existed for a new cinema in Bognor. Two multiplexes were nearby '“ in Chichester and Port Solent '“ and the town centre also had the two-screen Picturedrome. 'It is a perfectly good cinema. Why undermine it? I do not want to see the loss of the Picturedrome.'