Bognor electors to have their say at special meeting

A special meeting is being held later this month to enable them to voice their opinions about the 100m-plus plans.

At least six residents of the four electoral wards around the town centre have banded together to call the meeting.

It will take place at 7.30pm on April 28 at the town hall.

A likely result of the meeting, providing ten people present agree, will be a town poll.

This will give Bognor's voters probably their only chance to directly vote about the important subject at the ballot box.

One of those behind the meeting, former town and district councillor Jan Cosgrove, said it would focus on three aspects of the regeneration.

These were:

n the number of flats in the current proposals by St Modwen '“ some 168 on the Regis Centre site and 180 on Hothamton;

n the entertainment provisions to replace the Regis Centre; and

n the possible closure of the seafront.

St Modwen is working on detailed proposals for the Regis Centre and Hothamton locations. For the seafront site, it wants to build an entertainment complex with a combined live entertainment and cinema venue, a bowling alley and bars and restaurants topped off by some six storeys of flats. The Hothamton site, off Queensway, would feature 25,000sq ft of offices, a 30-storey tall block of flats and a food store. Marks and Spencer and Sainsburys are possible occupiers.

The initial plans for the far-reaching ambitions to revive the town centre attracted 2,200 people to an exhibition in late January.

Mr Cosgrove said the inspiration for the meeting came from the letters page of the Observer.

Recent months have seen a wide variety of views expressed by various correspondents about a subject which will shape Bognor's future for decades to come.

He explained: "The regeneration of Bognor is a once and for all scheme. If it isn't got right now, it never will be.

"It's very important that the people of the town have the opportunity to express their choice.

"They can say what they want at the ballot box."

It was likely that the poll would take place in late May or early June. "That is the perfect point at which people can put their views," stated Mr Cosgrove.

Another of the electors involved with the meeting, twice former town mayor Roger Nash, said: "The whole regeneration issue is crucial for Bognor's future. But local people must be comfortable with what is being proposed. Holding a town poll is an excellent way of testing opinion and also giving Arun and developers St Modwen a clear idea of what is acceptable and what is not."

The result of such a poll is not binding on a local council, though the outcome has to be considered by councillors.