Call for organisations to submit regeneration ideas for Bognor Regis

The Regis Centre site is often mentioned as the town's prime regeneration candidate

During an often bad-tempered debate on Wednesday evening (September 16), the council agreed a motion put forward by the Conservatives, setting a deadline of November 13 for people to get in touch.

Despite the positive outcome, the meeting was hardly the council’s finest hour, dragging on past midnight as members spent as much time arguing about procedure as they did about the matter at hand.

When they did take a break from playing ‘point of order’ tennis, the main talking point was whether or not to name the Sir Richard Hotham Project – now known as Project Sunrise – in the motion.

The project’s £80m plans to replace the Regis Centre and build a 1,100-seat theatre on the Hothamton car park were rejected by the council in 2017 before a successful appeal the following year.

The Conservatives wanted the motion to call on ‘the Sir Richard Hotham Project, and any other prospective developer’ – but that was deemed unacceptable by the rest of the council.

Tony Dixon (Ind, Aldwick East) said to do so was ‘a clear attempt to create a one-horse race’, adding: “There must be no favourites.”

Deputy leader Francis Oppler agreed, saying all expressions of interest had to be treated equally.

He added: “To single out and name one particular developer for engagements will give the impression that that organisation has a special and preferred status which it doesn’t.

“This would give off all the wrong signals to the public across the district and also to any other potential interested parties.”

Mr Oppler added that councillors had been ‘bombarded’ with information from Project Sunrise and that he felt ‘badgered’.

There was support from Ricky Bower (Con, East Preston), who said: “Naming a particular organisation in anything the council does at any time gives them a preferred status and that is not something I am prepared to do.”

Grant Roberts (Con, Arundel & Walberton), who presented the motion, vehemently denied that he was showing any favouritism and fought against having the line removed.

He was not swayed by assurances from leader Dr James Walsh that Project Sunrise would be invited to take part, declaring that the promise didn’t fill him with confidence ‘because I don’t think he will be the leader of the council for much longer potentially’.

Eventually the line was removed and the motion was approved unanimously.

Mr Roberts said: “When you look at the purpose of this motion it’s very simple.

“It’s to help achieve the regeneration that Bognor Regis deserves.

“Regeneration has been talked about for decades but has not progressed.”

He added: “We will be able to move forward and re-transform Bognor Regis into a vibrant and successful seaside resort – a nationally recognised holiday and day trip destination where culture and tourism venues can create jobs, permanently boosting the local economy and becoming a source of revenue to the local authority and community for generations to come.”

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