Large investment to improve Bognor Regis leisure centre changing facilities

The funding for new wet change facilities at Arun Leisure Centre was approved as part of the council’s draft budget at a meeting on Monday (24 January).

Arun District Council leader Shaun Gunner said he visited the facilities himself after receiving complaints.

He told the housing and wellbeing committee: “Anybody who has been to the leisure centre and is familiar with those people who frequent it, will know how many complaints they receive about the state of the changing places there.”

The majority of the funding -around £667,000 – is expected to come from developer contributions; money paid by developers who build in the district which is also known as a section 106 agreement.

Around £42,000 of the section 106 money has already been received, with a further £253,000 expected to come forward in 2022 and 2023 and more to follow in later years.

However, a report before the housing and wellbeing committee warned that the funding is ‘dependent on delivery of significant housing projects and can be susceptible to slippage’.

This means there is no guarantee the funding will be received on schedule and the project may have to be funded by council borrowing in the meantime.

“I’m absolutely delighted that this council is able to put money forward to refurbishing those [facilities] and the fact that two thirds of the money will be coming from section 106 contributions as well,” Mr Gunner said.

“We talk about how developers are contributing to our district, well this is an example of how they will contribute to our district.”

Housing and wellbeing committee chair and deputy council leader Jacky Pendleton said: “The projects that we have on this committee going forward for the next budget year are really exciting and I think, for the community, they are real advantageous assets to the area.”

The committee also gave provisional approval to a budget of £100,000 for town centre events and the proposed Sussex by the Sea Festival.