Asda: last chance to comment

Arun District Council's planning department has registered the company's application for the new outlet at Oldlands Farm.

This means it is now officially within the planning system with Arun's usual three-week deadline for consultation.

The Observer reported last week the council will decide the issue on April 9. Asda hopes everyone interested in seeing the store being opened will contact the council with their views by quoting the planning application reference of BE/1/08.

Asda spokesman Tom McGarry said: 'With the application registered, the local community in Bognor now have the opportunity to let the people who will decide the application know their views.

'We believe our plans offer a bright future for Bognor and our consultation has seen that view reflected in public opinion.'

Asda's plans involve spending 30m on the site immediately north of the John Wiley and Son premises along the A29 Shripney Road.

The retailer wants to put up a store with a net sales area of 4,459sq m. This will provide 500 jobs. Alongside the store, it will spend 4.5m installing all the services needed to enable a new business park with 19,500sqm of gross floorspace to be developed. It is hoped this will create a further 1,000 jobs. The first 10,000sq ft business unit to kickstart the development also forms part of Asda's proposals.