Rotten Bognor Regis planter not to be replaced

The wooden rectangular feature had been sited at the junction of London Road and Station Road since the late 1980s.

It was taken away by Arun District Council because of its poor condition.

But the gap left in the area by its absence has been criticised by Bognor Regis Chamber of Commerce deputy chairman Ian Harding.

He said: “The planter made that area look really nice and it looks awful now that it is no longer there.

“It had two yucca trees in it and they hid the telephone box next to the planter.

“That is an important area for the town because a lot of visitors see it when they leave the railway station to go into the town centre.

“But it doesn’t look welcoming at all to them now.”

An Arun spokeswoman said: “The planter had been in place for more than 20 years and was rotten and dilapidated

“The council is currently working on a proposal for the refurbishment of London Road, funded through the money from the Sainsbury’s development at Lec so there are currently no plans to replace it.

“We are confident the overall improvements to the look and feel of London Road that will come in the near future from this work will hugely enhance the area for everyone who lives and visits the town.”

New planters have been suggested as an idea to brighten up the area.