'Perfect' windbreaks found for Bognor's promenade bandstand

The four windbreaks should make it easier for events to take place on the seafront bandstand, giving performers and spectators vital protection from the wind.

A £50,000 renovation project on the bandstand was completed last year, but residents have complained about the lack of proper wind breaks at the grade II listed attraction ever since.

Speaking at an events, promotion and leisure committee meeting last week, Councillor Jim Brooks said the band stand had been 'brilliantly restored' but 'practically difficult' to use as a performance space.

"There's no PA system, it's difficult to access electricity and there are no chairs nearby when people want to sit down and enjoy and, worst of all, there are no windscreens," he said.

The town council were due to discuss new proposals for windbreaker designs at last week's meeting but, having explored their stores, discovered four windbreakers which fit the bill 'perfectly.'

Now that the windbreakers have been successfully tested, they are set to be used for all future performances at the bandstand, as well as for other events which might need them.

The wind breaks currently take three man-hours to set up, but Cllr Brooks insisted there may be ways to reduce the set-up time.

For Cllr Brooks, however, there is still some way to go before the bandstand becomes the performance space it could be.

"I'm in favour of streamlining the whole process," he told the committee. "From signing the forms to the equipment available.

"Of course, we still want to see chairs and other items which will actually make it easier to use. Perhaps a built-in battery PA. People should just be able to say 'I'd like to do an event on the stage, subject to my report' and appear."