Progress for Bognor Regis in 2022 but the Board asks partners to set out plans for 2023 and beyond
The Bognor Regis Regeneration Board has taken the opportunity, as we enter a new year, to review the progress made by our members in improvements and regeneration for Bognor Regis over the past year. And what progress we have seen! There is so much to celebrate in Bognor Regis right now with more opportunities to move forward on the horizon. The Board is clear that progress can only be secured through the three Cs – Collaboration, Co-ordination and Compromise - and it is really encouraging to see investment being secured for the town to improve its offering to both residents and tourists alike. Bognor Regis is a dynamic, friendly and ambitious place and we are grateful to our members and partners for their work in building positivity and promoting the town. After a busy year we’d like to offer our version, in no particular order, of the ‘Greatest Hits’ that are being delivered by our members to make Bognor Regis better!
Butlin’s is continuing as an active partner in the development of the town as a tourist attraction. We were pleased to welcome Nikki Ratcliffe as Resort Director as Jeremy Pardey moves into a leadership role as Programme Director for the Butlin’s Group. Nikki has reconfirmed Butlin’s commitment to the Board and to Bognor Regis, with a new activity centre planned at an investment cost of £50million. The new centre will bring innovation and excitement to the resort experience and its construction and operation will deliver additional jobs, local supply chain opportunities and bring in thousands of holidaymakers, visiting and re-visiting the town.
The Bognor Regis Business Improvement District [BID] are a key member of the Board and demonstrate the power of positive partnership in their work to secure the viability and vitality of our town centre. The driving force behind many successful initiatives to promote Bognor Regis, encourage new business and increase footfall, 2022 was a particularly busy year for the BID team. Offering start-up tasters through the POP! unit, relaunching the much-loved Love Bognor Regis website, delivering improved security by running the Business Crime Reduction Partnership and working closely with the Community Warden team, extending the network of lighting and colourful banners to build a sense of welcome…the list seems endless! A highlight of the year was the Taste! Bognor Regis food & music event which took place over 20-21st August. Offering live music and a range of street food, the event brought significant numbers to the town centre to enjoy the free entertainment, bask in the sunshine and enjoy the fountains at Place St Maur Des Fosse. Local social media sites showed that the event was a real hit with locals and visitors alike with many calling for BID to make it bigger and better in 2023!
Bognor Regis Town Council continues to build on its support for the community and local businesses through its grants and events programmes and its commitment to improving the security and attractiveness of the town centre. The Council’s determination to work in partnership is clear; working with the BID on town centre security and alongside other stakeholders to develop a clear wayfinding strategy as we work to grow Bognor’s reputation as a welcoming and accessible town. Their investment in the vibrant summer floral displays and wonderful new Christmas lighting scheme enhances the experience of both residents and visitors. The Town Crier, fully funded through the Council, wrote the official proclamation for the late Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee and her words were proclaimed by over 210 town criers across the nation and the Commonwealth, confirming and strengthening Bognor Regis’s historical links to our Royal Family and very firmly putting the town on the map during this international celebration of service.
The University of Chichester has had a busy and successful 2022, increasing student numbers and expanding their offering including new courses in nursing and e-sports. The value of students to the local economy, both whilst they are living and studying in the area and afterwards, post-graduation, as they move into local employment or develop start-ups, is integral to the delivery of local priorities such as increasing the number of higher paid, higher skilled jobs and developing the Bognor Regis area as a base for creative technical and digital business. The University continue to invest in their Bognor Regis campus, with a £80million procurement package currently in hand to deliver increased student accommodation and improve existing facilities, supporting their drive to expand student numbers.
Arun District Council has moved several significant projects forward this year, delivering a revamp of the Place St Maur Des Fosse to improve welcome and connectivity from the seafront to the town centre whilst providing more public seating, attractive landscaped areas and an accessible, interactive water feature. The redevelopment of the Alexandra Theatre, funded through a UK Government Levelling Up grant and ADC reserves, has moved to final design and planning stage. Arun Arts, current operator of the theatre, have confirmed to the Board that they are very happy with the proposals which will allow them to expand their offering in new and inclusive ways, building stronger working partnerships with both the University and the Chichester Festival Theatre. The Sunken Gardens project has been approved to come forward for implementation and ADC have negotiated a land swap deal with Whitbreads, freeing up the lease on the whole of the Regis site and bringing a 102 room hotel to the town centre (subject to planning consent) which will support the potential for the theatre to function as a conference and exhibition space in future.
https://democracy.arun.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=347&MId=1730&Ver=4
The Board itself has also experienced both progress and change over the last year, moving from public sector chairmanship when Cllr David Edwards stepped down earlier this year to independent, private sector chairmanship in Dr Dave Cooper, formerly Head of Business at the University and now of Rampion Consulting Ltd. The Board has continued to facilitate the Town Centre Forum, identifying focus areas such as ADC’s intended review of the Bognor Regis Masterplan and working with members to identify strategic priorities for the town including improving positive perception and developing the town centre as a welcoming, secure and accessible place. This last priority has led us to work on a wayfinding strategy for the town, identifying key sites and trails to implement a bright, legible system of signage and community art. We were very grateful to secure both funding and engagement from a wide range of partners and will be bringing the strategy forward for consideration in the new year.
Rebecca White, the Board’s Executive Director, noted, “All these projects and the many more currently being worked on or examined by our members and partners represent real progress for Bognor Regis. We believe that while larger holistic schemes have their part to play in modern townscapes, regeneration is about more than bricks and mortar and you can see from the differing size and scopes of the initiatives that we’ve highlighted, that stakeholders are working together to deliver a varied offering which is accessible to residents and visitors alike. Whilst this progress is to be welcomed, we are still very conscious that there is more work to be done. Bringing forward a development plan for the town centre through consultation and political consensus must be a key priority for stakeholders in the coming year so that the projects which are identified for development are likely to be progressed beyond election cycles. We are keen to support this approach to modular regeneration and have reached out across the political spectrum, in advance of next May’s election, to ask what projects will be supported or proposed going forward so that we can sustain momentum. The town’s residents have a right to expect that the local councils will work together to improve publicly owned town centre assets for the benefit of all. Bognor Regis has too often suffered from the ‘back to the drawing board’ approach; with collaboration and commitment to action, together we can ensure that now is the time to move forward.”