£5m annual boost to town centre

The increased spending is estimated to arise from the new look for the Regis Centre and Hothamton sites. St Modwen put its latest ideas for the regeneration on display last week.

The company says the 100m-plus investment in the locations will produce benefits for Bognor year after year.

Senior development manager Gary Morris said: "It is estimated that regeneration for Bognor as a whole could bring up to 500,000 new customers, shoppers and visitors to the town each year.

"It is currently estimated that the regeneration of the two sites could produce around 3m-5m in increased spend in the local area. This will be dependent on the final scheme design and context."

It is expected that 50 to 60 jobs for residents will be created by the businesses which occupy the transformed areas.

The construction work is set to involve about 80 jobs. Mr Morris added that it was St Modwen's policy to use local suppliers wherever possible. Businesses around Bognor will be invited to submit tenders for the various projects involved.