Anger over further regeneration delay

Bognor Regis Chamber of Commerce chairman and president Nick Stuart Nicolson told its annual meeting the delay was a further cause of dissatisfaction over the town's future.

"At the moment, the brakes seem to be on and we don't seem to be getting anywhere. People are getting angry about it."

This added to the general dissatisfaction with Arun over its rejection of Asda's plans for a store on the outskirts of the town.

"People have a rapidly diminishing trust and support for the district council," he stated, "because of the way they have totally disregarded public opinion."

A show of hands among some 30 members at Bognor Regis Civic Society's annual meeting the next night showed unanimous support, apart from Cllr Jim Brooks's abstention, for a total rethink about regeneration.

Deputy chairman Hugh Coster said Arun should follow the council in Dudley in the West Midlands and ditch St Modwen.

"This is an ideal opportunity for a fresh look at all the regeneration issues in the town centre," he said. "Someone else may come along with a scheme which is better for Bognor.

"Staying tied to St Modwen will prevent that happening, which is really silly.

"Whether to stay with them should be a decision taken by Bognor's residents '“ not by a small group of councillors."

BRighter Bognor chairman Stan Jonas said in a statement the group accepted the need for an extended deadline, though Bognor's regeneration was more important than ever.

"BRighter Bognor welcomes the proposal that Arun should retain its partnership with St Modwen and resist any pressures to reconsider the scheme," he stated.

"Although it is impossible to predict the course of this recession, we doubt if other developers would provide a better service, be more reliable or able to move faster."

St Modwen's ideas continued to be broadly supported by BRighter Bognor, he added.

But the library should not be moved to the seafront and the Hothamton tower was not essential.

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