Residents go with the flow for traffic network

Hundreds of households are being asked to help create the road network for the new-look Bognor Regis town centre.

The 700 chosen families and individuals have been asked to complete a travel diary for one day to enable developers to create a picture of traffic flow around the town.

The survey has been carried out by Halcrow Group Ltd on behalf of property company, St Modwen Properties.

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Keith Bull, a director of Halcrow, says in a letter to the randomly-chosen households they had an important role to play in helping to determine Bongor's future.

"To ensure the proposals for the schemes are developed from a true understanding of access to, from and within the town, St Modwen has commissioned Halcrow to undertake a major survey about transport and travel in Bognor and the surrounding area," he states.

Face-to-face interviews will be carried out by Halcrow employees to compile a picture of everyone selected for the survey. Mr Bull adds: "The household details collected will be used in conjunction with the travel diary information in order to gain a greater understanding of travel patterns both for now and in the future."

St Modwen was chosen by Arun District Council in July 2006 as the preferred developer of the Regis Centre and Hothamton sites.

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The company and council signed a development agreement last month to pave the way for planning applications for the 100m regeneration of the locations. For the Regis Centre, an entertainment and leisure complex is promised along with a hotel and flats.

The Hothamton site will be used for offices, flats and some new shops with a possible new library and health centre as well.

St Modwen's initial thoughts are to pedestrianise the section of The Esplanade in front of the Regis Centre to link the seafront with the town centre.

Such a radical change to a public highway would be subject to strict legal procedures before it could take place.

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The prospect of The Esplanade, the main east-west route for traffic, being blocked means the large number of vehicles who use it having to be routed elsewhere.

Further changes to the road network could be likely around the Hothamton car park site where Steyne Street, in particular, could well be affected by St Modwen's intentions.

The company has promised to stage public exhibitions soon to enable residents to view its latest thoughts.

Planning applications for the developments have to be submitted this year. Completion date for the schemes is 2013 onwards.

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