VOTE: Facebook battle for Bognor to break away from Arun

The Facebook group, Fight The Good Fight Out of Arun, is seeking to sever the town’s ties with the district council to let local decisions be made by local people.

The group, which has a growing membership of more than 2,800 people, was started by Bognor resident Caroline Wilson.

Caroline said: “Local people have had enough. Decisions are being made by people who don’t even live in the town.

“In 2008 Asda wanted to build a store in the town and this was widely supported by Bognor Regis people. However Arun District Council members from outside the area turned the application down and Asda went elsewhere.

“There are a number of similar issues such as potential damage to the future of the cinema and selling land to build flats, and it is widely felt that Arun’s rule resembles a dictatorship.”

The group is planning to take its campaign into the town centre on Saturday and is starting a petition it hopes will lead to a debate about the issue.

At Friday’s meeting of the Bognor Regis Civic Society Caroline said she decided to launch the campaign after listening to Bognor’s deputy town mayor Paul Wells’ comments during a town council meeting.

Caroline said: “We are not here to upset anyone, or any of the parish councils and we certainly don’t want to start a row. We just want to have local decisions made by local people.”

The civic society’s vice-chairman Hugh Coaster pledged to support Caroline in her efforts.

An electoral review of Arun is being carried out by the independent Local Government Boundary Commission.

What do you think?

Should Bognor break away from Arun? Cast your vote in the poll to the right of the screen and leave your comments below.

Read the full story in today’s Observer (September 20).