New shopping complex would protect Littlehampton town centre

SUPERMARKET chains “sniffing around” for new sites on the outskirts of Littlehampton must be fended off to protect the long-term future of the town centre, councillors have warned.

And unless Arun District Council’s preferred option of a new food store within its proposed redevelopment of St Martin’s car park goes ahead, the future will look bleak for the main shopping centre.

The serious concerns were voiced at last week’s meeting of Arun’s Littlehampton regeneration sub-committee, when members agreed on the need to make progress with the St Martin’s scheme as soon as possible.

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St Martin’s was identified as the only one out of four potential large food store sites examined by consultants for Arun which they concluded would not have a harmful effect on other traders either in the town centre or at Wick.

Having a food store within the redeveloped St Martin’s would have a “hugely positive” impact on the town centre, the consultants concluded.

The three other sites were Railway Wharf, just north of the Arun View pub, the former Body Shop units at Worthing Road, Wick, and north of Littlehampton, where major housing and business developments are already proposed.

Asda and Morrisons were considered to be the most likely chains interested in a new store.

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Councillor Dr James Walsh told the committee: “What we are talking about is the future of Littlehampton town centre as a shopping destination.

“If St Martin’s doesn’t go ahead and there is no anchor foodstore there, it will spell the end of Littlehampton as a shopping centre.

“If our nerve fails us at this stage, we could end up with the worst possible scenario with no anchor foodstore at St Martin’s, a new supermarket at the Wick Body Shop site and a declining town centre with shops boarded up.

“That would be disastrous.”

He urged the council to do whatever was necessary to make progress with the St Martin’s scheme.

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A report to the committee said between £100,000 and £150,000 would have to be spent by Arun on drawing up a marketing brief and selecting the preferred developer, but at present there was only around £30,000 in the budget.

The sub-committee agreed to ask the full council to find the extra money needed for this next stage, subject to a briefing for sub-committee members before the council meeting towards the end of this month.

It was also agreed to reopen negotiations with existing town centre supermarket owners the Co-op and Sainsbury’s, whose stores are close to the St Martin’s site, but who have so far declined to be involved in the redevelopment.

Arun business development manager Miriam Nicholls said the council’s retail consultants Knight Frank had advised that both chains might be persuaded to come on board if they knew the site was going to be marketed, with the potential for a rival supermarket to move in.

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Councillor Mike Northeast said Arun had to move rapidly with the St Martin’s site, with the possibility of developments elsewhere. Retailers at Wick, he added, were very concerned about a potential supermarket on the old Wick Body Shop site, which they feared would decimate their businesses.

“But if you talk to the public, they would love another store there. It’s a fine balancing act between what the public wants or whether we go with what would be the best bet in the long-term interests of the town,” said Mr Northeast.

Councillor Ricky Bower, Arun cabinet member for planning, agreed on the need for urgency, especially as there was a rumour of a potential planning application for the Wick Body Shop site.

“Whether or when that will turn up has yet to be seen. Certainly there is someone sniffing around,” he added.