Approval of Bognor's Lec site blueprint on the cards

Land-owner Sime Darby London Ltd is likely to receive general approval from councillors for a planning blueprint for the land along the A27. The backing is set to come from Arun District Council's cabinet members on Monday.

They are being recommended by Bognor regeneration task force co-ordinator Richard McMann to support and endorse the principle of the final version of the development brief.

The one exception is the prospect of housing, which Sime Darby says might be necessary to help pay for the industrial land to be cleaned up.

The council wants to see jobs created on the 4.3 hectare site, rather than a residential use, to help towards Bognor's regeneration.

Mr McMann also says the council's continued backing will only be determined by the nature of the final proposals and the extent to which they support regeneration.

He also makes clear the council's approval for the development brief is distinct from any planning permission.

That will have to be sought through the usual planning application process. Each application will be assessed on its merits.

The main land uses being put forward by Sime Darby, as previously reported in the Observer, are retail and business. Various mixes of them dominate the three potential layouts of the land.

Retailers could include a major national supermarket as well as bulky goods stores. Business land uses could feature light industry, research and development and offices.

Other secondary uses could be a business-type hotel, storage and distribution or a car showroom.

The development brief also states housing could take up to half the site to make it worthwhile for developers to pay for the commercial premises. The production of the final brief enables Sime Darby to approach developers to show them what is wanted on the land. A development company will buy the site and then seek planning permissions for specific schemes.

It is likely to be about two years before any demolition starts on the former factory buildings, dating back to the early 1950s, and more recent office blocks on land which was formerly partly a housing estate and partly a gas works. It could take a further three years for the plot to be totally redeveloped.

The production of the 130-page final development brief follows an extensive period of consultation by Sime Darby in the past five months.

This featured an exhibition, talks and workshops.

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