St Modwen sets out its position in response to Bognor poll

St Modwen is obviously aware of the forthcoming Town Poll on June 4th and recognizes the community's right to express its opinion in this manner. It is also important that the community is aware that the design process which culminates in the submission of a planning application is an iterative process, taking into account a vast array of considerations and opinions, obtained over a period of time through constructive dialogue and consultation. The ideas we presented at our January consultation marked a point in time in that process and there will be other occasions for comments to be made as the scheme design progresses.

In addition to the ongoing discussions we are having with numerous stakeholders, the community at large will have two further opportunities to express their views before Arun members make a decision on our planning application. We are committed to repeating our previous consultation initiatives before our application is submitted. Thereafter, Arun will hold a wide ranging consultation exercise on the final application itself. The views expressed at both of those will be considered along with our earlier consultations.

In acknowledging that the poll is proceeding, we do believe it is important that voters make their decisions as to how to answer the questions after considering all relevant facts and information. Accordingly, St Modwen is pleased to set out its current position in response to the four questions posed by the Poll.

1. Do you agree that the St. Modwen scheme seeks too many seafront and other flats and too few guaranteed additional leisure and shopping amenities?

Mixed-used development is an internationally recognised approach to successful sustainable physical and economic regeneration that enables the attraction of private sector resources and finance to deliver the civic, commercial, cultural, leisure and entertainment facilities and improved public realm that would otherwise might not be delivered due to the restrictions on the public purse.

There is a fundamental difference between St Modwen's proposals for Bognor Regis today and previous seafront developments. The residential accommodation we are proposing forms part of an extensive mixed-use regeneration scheme, whereas the previous seafront developments were 'single use', offering less benefits to the wider community.

St Modwen is totally committed to delivering a high quality leisure experience for both residents and visitors to Bognor Regis. The mix and range of uses we proposed in our original submission are crucial if we are to achieve this ambition. We have no plans to dilute this mix of uses. We will continue to promote the opportunity of a hotel in the scheme to complement the other leisure facilities such as the new entertainment centre, quality restaurants, bars, cafes and bowling, together with our "Building on the Beach" restaurant. In addition there will of course be the wide range of tourist related activities and facilities along the newly pedetrianised seafront.

2. Do you favour St Modwen's plan for a combined entertainment venue which will share cinema and live entertainment, to be built at an unknown cost?

The Entertainment Centre, which will be an integral part of the leisure building in the Regis site, will bring a unique leisure facility to Bognor Regis. This 'destination' venue will be used for live drama and music performances, quality cinema, along with space for other uses such as conferences and galleries to appeal to all age groups. The nature of the flexible spaces within the Centre will, for example, also enable a range of leisure activities aimed at the town's youth utilising new technologies. The diverse nature of the new Centre will ensure that it is financially self-sustainable which will protect the ongoing provision of arts and live performance facilities in the town.

The cost of delivering the new Entertainment Centre will be borne by St Modwen and will incorporated in the overall Development Costs of the scheme as a whole as was proposed in our original competition submission.

3. Do you favour the alternative proposal to extend and upgrade the existing Alexandra Theatre into a modernised 520-seat venue dedicated to live entertainment, incorporated into a viable seafront regeneration, and the expansion of the existing Picturedrome cinema to 4 screens?

The inclusion in the development area of the existing Alexandra Theatre was part of St Modwen's competition submission, enabling a more cohesive and comprehensive sustainable regeneration of this part of Bognor Regis' seafront rather than having to work around it. The removal of the Alexandra Theatre also helps deliver one of Arun's key objectives; to improve linkages between the town centre and the seafront by providing clear sightlines through The Arcade and creating enhanced pedestrian activity between the town centre and the seafront.

We are nearing the end of the process to select the preferred operator for the new Entertainment Centre, (a process that both the Town Council and Vision Group have been part of throughout). This is an exciting time in the provision of live performance and we are confident that whichever operator is finally selected, the ultimate winners will be the people of Bognor Regis. They will benefit from a vibrant and varied programme and facilities that will be provided both in the new Centre and also in outside performance spaces to be made available by the closure of this part of The Esplanade.

We do not see the new Entertainment Centre as meaning the end of the Picturedrome. We believe it will have a role to play in the future leisure provision within the town alongside the new Centre.

4. Do you support the closure of the seafront road, The Esplanade, as proposed in the St Modwen development?

Tourism is a key driver to the Bognor Regis economy and we are striving to create a unique seaside experience to compete with other coastal resorts. The closure to traffic of part of The Esplanade between Waterloo Square and Clarence Road is a key element of our plans for the regeneration of Bognor Regis' seafront. We believe that our proposals for the realignment and restructuring of the seafront are exciting, and significantly different to other coastal resorts to be highly attractive to both residents and visitors to the town.

Currently, the Promenade has limitations which restrict the types and numbers of leisure activities that can take place on the seafront. By closing this part of The Esplanade, it will be possible to create pockets of quiet or busy activities for all ages amidst an inspiring seafront landscape.

Extensive traffic surveys and modelling are taking place to assess the potential alternative routes available. This work is being carried out in full consultation with West Sussex County Council and Arun District Council and we fully recognise that our proposal can only work if satisfactory alternative routes through and around the town can be achieved.

We hope that the information we have provided will enable voters to make a considered decision when participating in the poll. In the coming months, we look forward to continuing our constructive dialogue and consultation with all stakeholders to deliver the regeneration of these two sites in Bognor Regis that will see the town and its people prosper in the years ahead.