Demolition of Bognor Regis shelter delayed

Arun District Council has delayed demolishing the structure, used by rough sleepers, until the autumn.

It has made the decision to avoid shutting the promenade for the work to take place at the busiest time of the year.

It has ripped up the shelter’s east and west-facing seats instead to make it a less attractive place for night-time stays.

Town and district councillor Jeanette Warr, who lives in nearby Berkeley Court, said the delay made sense.

“Demolishing the shelter now would have meant closing the promenade when Birdman and Rox are taking place.

“It would have caused great inconvenience to holidaymakers and everyone else who uses the seafront,” she said. “Being aware of that disruption, and the efforts Arun has made to make the shelter less suitable for sleeping in, I don’t have a problem with the delay in its disruption as long as I know something is going to happen.”

But a spokesman said those who lived in King’s Court, Compass Point, Esplanade Grande and Berkeley Court were frustrated and annoyed at the further delay: “Two separate dates for demolition have been issued by the council only to be ignored or excused with a ridiculous excuse.

“Arun say they don’t want holidaymakers to be inconvenienced by demolition work, but they don’t seem to mind them being inconvenienced by rough sleepers still asleep at mid-morning on a weekend.

“Removing the east and west seating, after the north seating was taken out earlier, will mean the perpetrators can use the front of the shelter to drink and have even more room to use the rear of the shelter as the toilet.”

The shelter’s removal was due to have started on July 4 at a cost of £8,500 to solve a problem which flared up last year.

An Arun spokeswoman said the shelter would be pulled down in late September or early October.

“In order to demolish the shelter safely, we would have had to shut down part of the promenade at peak season. This would not only limit access along the promenade but inconvenience concessionaires, such as those who run the cafe and coffee shop and the miniature train.”