Issue - meetings

London Road Coach/Lorry/Car Park - Bognor Regis - Nat Slade - 10.45 am

Meeting: 10/02/2020 - Cabinet (Item 434)

434 London Road Coach/Lorry/Car Park - Bognor Regis pdf icon PDF 137 KB

Cabinet resolved on 23 July 2018 to market the disposal of freehold land at London Road, Bognor Regis for redevelopment to include student accommodation, whilst retaining public car parking. In line with the Cabinet resolution, progress has been made on this proposal and a preferred bidder has been selected. 

 

Since the original decision, there has been a further proposal made that the re-development allows for the re-provision of public toilets.   As this was not part of the original decision made in July 2018, the Cabinet is being asked to approve the extension of the proposals to include this further element.

 

Decision:

The Cabinet

 

            RESOLVED

 

            That the proposals agreed by Cabinet on 23 July 2018 (Ref: C/008/230718) relating to the Council’s freehold land at London Road, Bognor Regis be extended to include the re-provision of public toilets.

Minutes:

The Cabinet Member for Technical Services, Councillor Stanley, presented this report outlining that back in July 2018 the then Cabinet decided that London Road lorry/coach/car park was to be sold for redevelopment to provide student accommodation, whilst retaining public car parking and enhancing the approach to the adjacent Hotham Park.

 

 

The decision taken at that time was that the public toilets on the site would not be re-provided. This report sought to amend that decision to allow for public toilets to be re-provided as part of the development. This was because although there was toilet provision within Hotham Park, the facilities in the coach park had historically always been very well used by visitors; visitors to the nearby school and the library. 

 

The Group Head of Technical Services then provided further details stating that since the decision made by Cabinet in July 2018, an open market exercise had been undertaken and a preferred bidder had been selected, that contracts were being worked on and that the developer was preparing a planning application for the site.  The Cabinet Member for Technical Services had requested that the public toilets be re-provided within the proposed development.  The Council’s property team had undertaken negotiations with the preferred developer who had now agreed to build new public toilets in exchange for a £50k reduction in capital receipt.  He emphasised that if approved, there would be no other changes to any other elements of the decision made in July 2018.

 

The Cabinet spoke in support of this proposal stating that much campaigning had taken place as there were Members who were sternly against the removal of toilets from this site previously.  It was felt that the retention of public toilets was vital to the local community as these were very well used facilities. 

 

            The Chairman confirmed that Councillor Chapman had requested to speak.  He was interest to know exactly what was going to be constructed; what would be the built span of the new block; how long would it be situated on site for and what would the total ongoing costs be?  The Chairman responded confirming that the new block would be on site for the life of that building however long that would be.  The facilities would require periodic refurbishment depending upon the level of usage, there were no figures on present usage available at the moment.

 

The Cabinet

 

            RESOLVED

 

That the proposals agreed by Cabinet on 23 July 2018 (ref: C/008/230717) relating to the Council’s freehold land at London Road, Bognor Regis be extended to include the re-provision of public toilets.

 

The Cabinet confirmed its decision as per Decision Notice C/037/100220, a copy of which is attached to the signed copy of the Minutes.