Shock warning on Sainsbury's plans for Bognor Regis

Jonathan Baldock said the arrival of the store on the former Lec site would take away 22m of sales annually from the shops around the London Road precinct.

He has also told councillors that Sainsbury's opening could signal the end of any regeneration hopes for the Hothamton and Regis Centre site.

Mr Baldock says in his report: "The proposed Sainsbury superstore would be likely to have a substantial adverse impact on Bognor town centre, both directly through trade diversion and indirectly through preventing or seriously delaying the planned town centre development.

"...we conclude that there is a strong retail planning case against the proposed Sainsbury superstore, under national planning policies.

"This case against is sufficient to justify refusal of planning permission and we recommend that planning permission is refused.

"The proposed Sainsbury superstore would undermine the vitality and viability of the town centre to a significant degree, because of the substantial impact on Morrisons, which is the principal 'anchor' store in the town centre.

"The proposed superstore may well reduce the range of services provided by the town centre.

"Nationally, the growth in superstores over the last few years has been accompanied by significant decline in small convenience goods shops.

"We would expect this to happen in Bognor town centre to some extent."

But an even bigger impact would be felt by smaller stores in the surrounding smaller shopping areas, he warns.

Mr Baldock, the head of retail planning at retail property advisor DTZ, was hired by Arun to assess Sainsbury's proposals for the Shripney Road site.

Sainsbury's claimed its new branch would have less of an effect. Much of its trade would come from customers who use its Chichester store and those who shopped outside Bognor.

But Mr Baldock disagrees. His analysis shows not enough demand for groceries exists around Bognor to justify a store of the size wanted by Sainsbury's.

There was also no need for a sales area for comparision goods, such as household items, which Sainsbury's also intended. The demand which did exist for those products should be met in the town centre.

A better way to increase choice for Bognor's shoppers and keep the area around the London Road precinct active would be to enable an extra foodstore there and/or expand Morrisons in Bedford Street, urged Mr Baldock.

Arun senior planning officer Keith Wheway said that Sainsbury's was being given the chance to respond to Mr Baldock's analysis in the same way that Asda had.

"The council has to make a judgment to decide which of the two sets of statistics are sound," explained Mr Wheway.

"We will also be asking Mr Baldock that, if we refuse the Sainsbury's plans as he suggests, are the reasons strong enough to defend them if Sainsbury's appeal?

"But it will be up to the councillors to take into account all the material factors when they make their decision.

"The former Lec site is a brownfield site within the built-up area and has the potential for regeneration.

"It will be for the councillors to weigh up those sorts of issues as well as the retail ones."

He said no date had been set for councillors to decide the Sainsbury's proposals. Asda had also yet to appeal against its refusal by the council last December.

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'We will also be asking Mr Baldock that, if we refuse the Sainsbury's plans as he suggests, are the reasons strong enough to defend them if Sainsbury's appeal?

'But it will be up to the councillors to take into account all the material factors when they make their decision.

'The former Lec site is a brownfield site within the built-up area and has the potential for regeneration.

'It will be for the councillors to weigh up those sorts of issues as well as the retail ones.'

He said no date had been set for councillors to decide the Sainsbury's proposals. Asda had also yet to appeal against its refusal by the council last December.