Agenda item

The report provides members with a progress update on the proposed projects in respect of the regeneration of Littlehampton seafront.

Members are requested to indicated, of those projects listed within the report, which should be the subject of more detail in a comprehensive report for the economic and regeneration projects to be presented to the Economy Committee in June 2021.

The Director of Place presented this report, which was requested by the Covid-19 Recovery Working Group to consider regeneration matters relating to the sea front. The report brought together ideas put forward for Littlehampton, but it was made clear that officers had not put forward a specific plan of actions and had rather provided members with a list from which they could decide for which they would like to seek more information. He noted that the report had been written before the latest central Government Budget announcements. In particular the Levelling Up fund was brought to members’ attention. Arun District Council had the opportunity to consider making a bid for funding under the scheme and members could consider whether any of the ideas in the report might go into a bid submission. The bid process would be competitive, and any submission would need to refresh and tightly focus a lot of the information this report already picked up on to demonstrate the Council’s vision, as well as garner support from the local MP. He reminded members that the issue of financial resources was previously responsible for limiting regeneration ambitions.

The Chairman thanked the Director of Place for his report and opened up the debate to members. Members raised many points including support for improvements to parking facilities, support from the leaseholders of Harbour Park who were keen to move things forward and supported many of the ideas in the report, the need for ‘oven ready’ attractive project proposals that could be worked into visually exciting bids and how key the Levelling Up fund would be to delivering these, the need to develop the staying guest market with their larger spend per head, the possibility of investigating private sector funding opportunities in support of development, allaying the fears of local businesses by working in liaison with them and the need for members to provide direction and leadership and give the public confidence that they can deliver.

Members also raised concerns over the age of the evidence in the report and whether any progress had been made since their original publication, the ordering and potential prioritisation of the projects that did not seem to reflect the scoring system employed, accommodation not being mentioned in the report and the current movement in the hospitality and tourism sectors that may hinder partnership.

The Director of Place provided members with answers to all points raised. The Chief Executive concluded the debate by stressing to members that firstly officers needed to establish what councillors wanted and secondly that officers needed the delegated power to determine how best to get there.

The Sub - Committee

          RECOMMENDS TO FULL COUNCIL that;

1)    the sub-committee supports the development of projects, including possible bids for funding to the levelling up fund, for new green and beach links, improvements to the Promenade and secondly the creation of a vision for the redevelopment of the harbour park and windmill area, exploring options for the provision of a cinema/theatre
in the town.

2)    the sub-committee supports engagement with any leaseholders

3)    a progress report be submitted to the Economic Committee.