Pagham talks on centre for visitors

The consultation will focus on proposals for a building to replace the current 'temporary' structure at Sidlesham which is coming to the end of its life.

The need for a replacement centre has also been shown by the latest figures which revealed 150,000 visitors come to the harbour each year. This is a staggering 50 per cent more than previously estimated.

Project officer Samantha Tate said: "We have worked to come up with proposals for where a new visitor centre should be, what functions it should fulfil and what facilities it should include. We are now in a position to share those recommendations with residents and visitors and get their thoughts on the proposals."

The Pagham Harbour team will start to gather those views by attending the Rox music and arts festival along Bognor seafront this Saturday and Sunday.

Other events will include the Pagham Harbour family fun day on August 10, Chichester farmers' market on August 15 and and marine madness at the existing Pagham Harbour visitor centre between noon and 5.30pm on August 17.

The consultation will end on October 27. All responses will be put towards the final study recommendations.

The current centre is almost 30 years old. The initial feasibility study to look at replacing it began 18 months ago. It was commissioned by West Sussex County Council, the Environment Agency and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds.

Its key recommendations included turning the abandoned Sidlesham Ferry landfill site into a wildlife habitat open to the public and siting the new centre there overlooking the harbour over several hectares.

This should happen by 2020. The new building is intended to be sustainably designed and financially self-sufficient.

The proposed centre should provide a welcoming reception point, quality educational facilities, a base to manage the harbour and a cafe, shop and exhibition area.

It is not yet known the cost of the new building. Funding will be required from a range of sources and is expected to take several years to assemble.

Cllr Deborah Urquhart, in charge of the county council's environment and economy policies, said: "The study responds to the need for a clear long-term strategy for visitors to Pagham Harbour.

"It is one of the best-loved coastal landscapes in Sussex and, at the same time, one of the most important wetlands in Europe for wildlife."

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