Decision due on hotel plans for Look and Sea Centre

Plans to use the upper floors of Littlehampton’s Look and Sea Centre as hotel rooms are due to be discussed next week.
The Look and Sea Centre in LittlehamptonThe Look and Sea Centre in Littlehampton
The Look and Sea Centre in Littlehampton

The attraction in Surrey Street was closed by Arun District Council in 2018, but a new operator was appointed last year to take on the Harbour Lights cafe.

Now a change of use application is seeking permission to use the upper two floors for six tourist accommodation suites.

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The ground floor restaurant use and viewing tower on the third floor would be unaffected.

A decision on the application is due to be made by the council’s development control committee next Wednesday (May 27).

The first and second floors are comprised of meeting and function rooms, an exhibition centre as well as office and storage space, but have been vacant since August 2018.

The new units are intended for accommodation purposes with no living areas or kitchen facilities provided.

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The applicant says it wants to operate the premises as a hotel with a remote reception.

Littlehampton Town Council has objected, arguing the plans fail to demonstrate the current facilities are surplus to requirements.

According to council planning officers: “The provision of additional visitor accommodation in this location would provide suitable facilities to accommodate out of season occupation, provide income to the town from additional visitors to restaurants and shops and additional jobs for local people servicing the accommodation.

“It is ideally located to make use of the existing riverside walk and footpaths and cycleways in the wider area.

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“Although outside of the application site and this application, the applicant has given a commitment that the current lookout tower will remain accessible to the public. The lookout tower is one of the biggest attractions of these premises.”

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