Proposed Chichester supermarket will suck millions of pounds from Bognor's stores

Councillors were warned yesterday that allowing the food store to be opened on Chichester's outskirts would harm the regeneration of its coastal neighbour.

There are even fears it could affect the chances of the former Lec factory being redeveloped by Sainsbury's if the government gives the go-ahead next month for the multi-million-pound redevelopment.

Arun District Council strategic development planner Keith Wheway wrote: "Arun is concerned that if the application for a superstore at Lec is refused by the secretary of state and this application at Chichester is approved, there will be significant further out-commuting from the greater Bognor area to the detriment of the economy of the town.

The addition of another supermarket will create more linked trips between this site and Chichester city centre and, therefore, be detrimental to the vitality and viability of Bognor town centre.

"Approval of the application may also lessen the chances of the Lec scheme happening and affect the viability of the site due to its high contamination costs."

A report by retail expert Duncan McCallum said more shoppers would desert Bognor's town centre and take at least 5m annually with them if the new store was able to open.

But his comments, prepared for Arun, failed to stop Chichester District Council's southern area development control committee giving permission for food to be sold at the site of the Homebase DIY building on Barnfield Drive.

Cllr Susan Fairley said: "We don't want to see an empty unit at Homebase although it will be a shame to lose a DIY store.

"I don't see there will be a massive effect on Bognor. I have no problem with this application."

Cllr Ann Scicluna said it was quite a sad application because of the existing number of out-of-town stores.

"But I can't see any planning reason to turn this down, although I would like to do so," she added.

Their decision overturned a restriction placed on the building when it was approved some 20 years ago.

Agents for the group said the proposed store would take away only the same amount of money from Bognor town centre as the proposed Sainsbury's on the Lec site.

But Mr McCallum, a director of DPDS Consulting, wrote: "There would be a number of benefits arising from the Lec proposal which do not arise from this proposal."

Among them was the creation of jobs in the store and two enterprise units, improved bus links with the town centre and 900,000 of projects to boost the High Street.

Sainsbury's at Westhampnett already attracted a lot of spending from Bognor.

He said: "By providing a further retail attraction just beyond the Bognor area, the proposal would take jobs away from the town and undermine much of the planning policy."