Asda: Arun's decision goes against what public want

Bersted Parish Council vice-chairman Cllr Brian Green said: "I struggle to understand the district council's reasons for refusal.

"In the ten months since the parish council gave unanimous backing to Asda, I have not met a single person who objected to the company coming here.

"I know people who regularly make the 30-mile round journey to Asda in Havant.

"There are ten Sainsbury's stores in West Sussex and ten Tesco's, plus their Express stores, yet only one Asda in the north of the county, in Crawley.

"Just think of how many shoppers would be drawn into Bognor town centre if we had an Asda there."

Asda's planning consultant Bernard Taylor said the firm would bring real choice to shoppers in the area.

"Tesco are over-trading and dominate the market in Bognor, Littlehampton and Chichester.

"An Asda would make a marked change to the retail patterns in this area. Without doubt, there's a clear need for it."

He pointed out that fears for the future of the town centre if Asda opened equally applied to Sainsbury's, which was proposing an even bigger store on the former Lec site.

It was impossible to build a superstore on the Hothamton site, off Queensway, earmarked for regeneration because that work would be dominated by flats.

For Bognor Regis Civic Society, deputy chairman Hugh Coster said it would be a scandal to reject Asda.

"There is an overwhelming demand for Asda in and around Bognor.

"Bognor welcomes Asda. A poll showed 86 per cent of people want the store.

"These are your constituents," he told the committee. "I urge you to approve the application because they recognise the sound common-sense of bringing Asda to the town."

He claimed the business park, for which the land at Oldlands Farm had been set aside, would remain just a dream.

"This business park will never be built because in the present economic climate no-one else will have the money to do it."

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