Public consultation called for as designs for new Bognor Regis theatre likened to a prison

Councillors and residents at an online Bognor Regis Town Council community forum on Wednesday, October 26, expressed their disappointment there was to be no public consultation.

They were told a councillor could put a motion to the full council, due to meet on November 7, calling for Arun District Council to hold a public consultation.

The designs for the new building were likened to a prison or a 1920s Gaumont Cinema, when it should reflect the surrounding buildings, they said.

Forum chairman Jim Brooks, a town and district councillor, said everyone was pleased £15million was to be spent regenerating the seafront building.

But Arun councillors decided the plans needed to be looked at again due to the number of seats and the designs.

He said the idea was to have more seats in the theatre to bring in more visitors and bigger shows but there were only going to be 29 extra.

There were comments about the design of the building, which he said looked like a 1920s Gaumont Cinema not the glass design they agreed when the levelling up bid was made.

He said there had been a project around for years to increase to 550 seats by using the space where the unused projection box is.

"If they are not using it for seats we need to have bigger indoor space," he said. "We have no space for the markets and exhibitions we used to have."

Residents questioned if there were going to be windows looking out to sea, if there could be a roof garden and why there was no public consultation when Littlehampton had it for its levelling up project.

Residents listening in were told they could have a say when planning applications were submitted.

"People who live in Bognor Regis and use the facility need to be aware of what's planned," Mr Brooks said

Councillor Phil Woodall said perhaps they could ask Arun why they can't have a consultation for Bognor.

Arun councillor Hugh Coster said he asked Arun leader Shaun Gunner why Bognor couldn't have consultation but had no response yet.

Town councillor Jeanette Warr said: "I would like to see a building more in keeping with the traditional buildings rather than looking like a prison."

Town councillor Mrs Sandra Daniels said: "We don't want a big ugly block stuck on the seafront if we can get something better out of it. We've got to push for consultation."