CiViC to set up debate on Bognor's future

The session will be held by the town's CiViC society to enable all those involved in the 100m-plus scheme to hear the views of residents.

The date of the meeting will be arranged to suit the schedules of Arun District Council's leader, Cllr Gill Brown, and developer St Modwen. Neither of them was able to attend the society's most recent monthly meeting, to the disappointment of members. They were especially keen to hear Cllr Mrs Brown explain her critical remarks about June's town poll which resulted in strong condemnation of aspects of the regeneration scheme among those who voted.

Hugh Coster, the deputy chairman of the society, said the group deplored Arun's lack of attention to public debate about the vitally important issue. The district council's last public question and answer session in the town was four years ago.

"Nobody has bothered to do this for the townsfolk," said Mr Coster, "except for the civic society and we'll do it again.

"We'll arrange a special meeting to fit in with the diaries of Gillian Brown and St Modwen so that there is no excuse for not attending.

"If possible, we'll hold it at the Alexandra Theatre and widely publicise it so that the maximum number of people can come along, ask questions and state their views."

At their meeting, civic society members decisively rejected the view of Richard McMann, Arun's Bognor regeneration task force co-ordinator, that residents had accepted flats on the Regis Centre when developer St Modwen was selected.

A vote among the members showed they considered it was the developer which had been chosen and not the scheme.

"This confirms our view that Arun and St Modwen need to listen to the townsfolk much more carefully," added Mr Coster.

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