Plan to rebuild unsafe fire-damaged store in Bognor Regis

Keith Jay Carpets and Furniture was destroyed in a fierce blaze last September.

The owner of the building in London Road, Keith Jay, has applied to Arun District Council for planning permission to knock it down and replace it in the same style.

His planning agent, Neil Barker, has said in a statement: “The site is currently occupied by an extensively fire-damaged shell of a building, now shrouded in scaffolding and a temporary site hoarding to restrict access.

“As the building in its current form is unsafe following extensive fire damage, and parts of the structure have been deemed unstable/unsafe, it is the intention through this application to seek approval for demolition of the building and reconstruction on a like for like basis.”

Keith Jay Carpets and Furniture is among the town’s oldest businesses. It celebrated 50 years of trading in 2014. Thousands of pounds of stock were destroyed in the blaze which was fought by 50 firefighters from around the region.

The ground and first floors of the property were used for retail and the top floor for storage. It took about six hours for the fire to be brought under control.

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