Linear Park plans: Formal consultation sought by town council

Members of the public with councillors Jan Cosgrove (centre left) and Matt Stanley (centre right)

Discussing a public meeting in November, which saw electors vote to oppose the plans, some councillors said they intended do what the public wanted.

Linear Park plans: Lack of public consultation 'deeply disappointing'

An artists impression of the Linear Park proposals

Jan Cosgrove, Labour, said: “We are in last chance saloon for regeneration in this town and this is just the tip of the iceberg.

“The iceberg is that Arun will sell up a pup on this site and it is in their own document of the 17th December 2017 Bognor Regis Regeneration Committee it says the purpose of the sunken gardens, despite all we have seen since is simple — to provide more value to the plots of land that they want to sell to develop their flats.”

Sandra Daniells, Independent aligned Conservative, said: “It would be good to go to people and find out what their opinion is because we don’t really have the proper figures yet but I think we do need to understand it’s a very long way down the process now.

“Whatever you do now, you might be better to take the view that they’re going to do it anyway so it might be better to work with them and try to have some influence over them than just keep fighting.

“I think that ship has sailed now.”

Jeannette Warr, Lib Dem, said: “I think we’ve heard what the public want, we know that they do not agree with the Linear Park and it’s up to us as elected councillors to go and do our best to do what the public want or don’t want. We’ve had the consultation and we are listening to them and that’s what we have to do.”

Matt Stanley, Lib Dem, said: “At every possible opportunity the public has had to share their opinion on Linear Park they’ve turned it down.

“What we need is a proper consultation prior to the submission of the planning application. The planning application will not allow us to change the concept and if they have any confidence in the plans they are putting forward they will put a halt to it and hold a thorough consultation.”

Councillors voted in favour of writing to Arun District Council requesting a formal consultation, copying in MP Nick Gibb and the leader of West Sussex County Council, Louise Goldsmith.