Agenda item

To receive questions from the public (for a period of up to 15 minutes)

The Chairman invited questions from members of the public who had submitted their questions in advance of the meeting in accordance with the rules of the Council’s Constitution and the Virtual Meeting Procedure Rules adopted by the Council at the Annual Meeting of the Council held on 20 May 2020.

The Chairman announced that two questions had been received from the same questioner.  In line with virtual meeting procedure rules, the Committee Manager read out the questions submitted on behalf of the questioner

            The first question was put to the Leader of the Council, Councillor Dr Walsh to respond to.  This related to the lack of progress made with the regeneration of Bognor Regis. The questioner stated that in the post-pandemic setting, the local economy of Bognor Regis would urgently require major stimulus and investment.   The Council maintained an indefensible block on engagement with the Sir Richard Hotham Project which had neither logic nor advantage to justify its continuation which also risked the Council not fulfilling best consideration requirements.

The Leader of the Council was asked if he would now commit to a change in the current situation so that an engagement with SRHP could begin in the shortest possible time-frame. He was also asked to undertake that the Council would return to the principle of cross-subsidy as set out in the 2003 Masterplan and which had not been superseded and which clearly had been abandoned without discussion by Officers?  He was also asked if he would disavow the idea of piecemeal development which was not Regeneration by any stretch of the imagination and would he pledge to Councillors and the Public that all efforts would now be made to see whether a deal beneficial to Bognor, the Council and SRHP could be reached?

            The Leader of the Council, Councillor Dr Walsh, responded stating that the Council was currently determining what course of action it wished to take in respect of the Regis Centre site.  He believed most people would agree that it was only prudent to consider this matter very carefully in light of the current Pandemic and how the economy is impacted.

            With regard to the Sir Richard Hotham Project (SRHP) the Council had refused to support it on three separate occasions, twice in the previous administration and once during this administration.  Furthermore, this administration had also made its opposition clear to any development on the Hothamton Car Park which formed part of the SRHP proposals.

Councillor Dr Walsh outlined that he appreciated that the questioner was a passionate supporter of this project, however, at this time, and in fact at no time, had the SRHP garnered the support of any administration of this Council, regardless of political colour.  Councillor Dr Walsh believed this demonstrated that the Council did not believe this scheme as a package was right for Bognor Regis.  Further facts and links to information were outlined as part of the response.

The same questioner then asked the Chairman of the Overview Select Committee, Councillor Northeast, if he could agree that there should be a full scrutiny of the way in which the Council had handled the application and regeneration proposals of the Sir Richard Hotham Project as an early and important item in the Committee's work cycle?

            Councillor Northeast responded confirming that it was for the Members of the Overview Select Committee to determine the Committee’s work programme.  It was open for any Committee Member to ask the Committee that a matter be added to the work programme and the first opportunity to do so would be at the next available Committee in September 2020.

The Chairman then drew Public Question Time to a close.

(A schedule of the full questions asked and the responses provided can be found on the Pubic Question Web page at: https://www.arun.gov.uk/public-question-time )