VOTE: Littlehampton leisure scheme may be key to town revamp

That was the question posed by councillors as one route for redevelopment, with a new supermarket at its heart, appeared to be closed off, while a new avenue offering leisure and sports facilities opened up.

Two announcements in the space of two days last month, by Waitrose and Morrisons, scuppered the prospects for a large new supermarket as the “anchor” for the proposed St Martin’s car park scheme.

Waitrose will open a week today in the former Somerfield store at Anchor Springs, while Morrisons has signalled its intention to build a new supermarket on the old Body Shop site at Wick.

A meeting of Arun’s full council heard last week that it was now unlikely another supermarket chain would want to be part of the St Martin’s scheme.

However, the situation is now being seen as an opportunity to breathe new life into the town centre by exploring other uses for the site, such as sports or leisure facilities.

Littlehampton Ham ward councillor Mike Northeast said: “The exciting twist is the prospect of having some sort of leisure facility in the town centre.

“We all know that town centres in the future have to be more leisure-based, as there is more emphasis on more out-of-town stores.

“We are seeing more of a café culture in Littlehampton. There are more eateries now, more seats in the town centre – things are changing.”

He added that a lot of ideas had been expressed about what people might want in the town centre, including a cinema and bowling alley, and called for residents to be asked for their views through the council’s Arun Times magazine.

Would you like to see sport or leisure facilities instead of a new supermarket included in redevelopment proposals for Littlehampton town centre? Cast your vote in the panel to the right of the screen, and leave your comments below.