Man on a mission to boost Littlehampton’s fortunes

John has been appointed as town centre regeneration officer by a three-strong partnership of Arun District Council, the town council and Littlehampton Traders’ Partnership, with funding for four-and-a-half years from Sainsbury’s, as a condition of the planning permission for its new superstore at Rustington.

He arrived with a track record of community development and regeneration roles, most recently in Hove, and previously in London, working as a partnership officer for the Bankside regeneration of the south side of the River Thames, including Tate Modern.

John is also familiar with the progress Littlehampton has made over the past two decades that his parents have lived in the town.

“One of the things that really impressed me was the seafront – those projects are phenomenal. The Long Bench is a tremendous attraction,” he said.

Still only a few weeks into his role, John is already gaining a sense of not only what the councils have achieved, but traders, too.

Not even the disappointment of missing out on £100,000 of Government funding as one of the towns chosen for backing by retail guru Mary Portas has diminished the positive mood in the town he has already noticed.

“I could see the enthusiasm that had gone into the Portas bid, just from meeting the people I have met in the first few weeks.”

Dozens of traders, have already received a personal visit from John, but he also plans to use all means available to keep people informed and draw on their support to strengthen the town centre – and that means Facebook, Twitter and emails will be conveying the message, too, and reaching audiences further afield to raise awareness of Littlehampton’s assets.

Better signposting to the town centre from the beach and river, more special events and, most significantly, a new vision and action plan drawn up with the involvement of traders and the councils are among his goals.

John is impressed with how well the town has weathered the economic storm, yet realises the challenge remains a tough one for all concerned.

But with his own positive outlook, and the enthusiasm of traders he has already experienced, he is convinced it’s a challenge Littlehampton can meet.