Sports facilities unveiled as part of Chichester University campus plan in Bognor

The details of the indoor and outdoor areas have been included in a 30m masterplan for the University of Chichester site.

This has been sent to Arun District Council as part of its land use strategy. It was backed in principle by the council's Bognor sub-committee.

The masterplan says the new sports pitches will include an all-weather pitch, netball and tennis courts on land north of the existing campus along the A259 where Upper Bognor Road and Felpham Way meet.

A new eight-court sport hall building with sports academic accommodation is proposed next to a new access off Felpham Way. They will be built as funding is provided.

The university has sought 12m from the Higher Education Funding Council along with 2.7m from the South East England Development Agency and 4m from the Learning and Skills Council. Final approval of that funding is expected this summer.

Richard McMann, Arun's Bognor regeneration co-ordinator, said: "The architectural treatment of this building will be exceptionally important as it presents the first image of the campus from the north and will need to provide an appropriate entrance to the site and the town."

But essential to turning the masterplan into reality will be a new vehicular access to the campus off Felpham Way.

This will give the university an entrance fitting to the proposed use of the campus '“ which could have some 2,000 extra students compared to the present 1,150 '“ and allows car parking to be concentrated where it will be most needed.

"The university state that the campus in its existing form suffers from poor routes both to the site, with four separate points of access, and within and through the site."

County highways officers consider a new access acceptable in principle provided that four matters, such as road safety and design, are satisfied.

For those on foot, the removal and replacement of existing buildings on the campus will create attractive pedestrian through routes around a heart of a central courtyard space.

"A new academic building is proposed on the area of land known as 'donkey field' fronting the corner of Felpham Way and the roundabout.

"This building is intended to provide much-needed additional and enhanced accommodation and provide the university with visibility at this town centre gateway location," stated Mr McMann.

"Some of the existing buildings are either beyond their useful life or in need of repair. The existing listed buildings which form the frontage to the site from Upper Bognor Road will be retained and a conservation plan commissioned."

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