Objections to plans for theatre expansion

The council's planning and leisure committee said the 3m Regis Centre scheme should be deferred until more information was known about the funding available.

The timetable and the exact plans for the regeneration of Bognor should also be taken into account before the plans were considered.

The decision has been sent to Arun District Council to consider when it has the final say on the application by Arun Arts Centre Ltd.

The charity wants to expand the Alexandra Theatre within the centre to 500 seats from the current 350-380 seats. As well as the extra capacity, a much bigger glazed entrance, information desk, larger foyer and a new site for the bar and cafe have been included in the proposals.

The expansion has been put forward by Arun Arts in the building's biggest change since its formal opening in 1980 as an alternative to the regeneration plans of the district council and developer St Modwen to demolish the centre and replace it with an entertainment facility which could combine a cinema and a theatre.

Town council planning and leisure committee member Cllr Simon Fyfe justified the opposition to the expansion plans this week.

He told Monday'stown council meeting: 'The majority in the committee meeting felt that this proposal was going to block the regeneration of Bognor. We felt this was the best way of raising our concerns.

'Bognor is going to have one chance - and one chance only - of regeneration. If it does not happen this time, Bognor might as well have the shutters put up.'

Cllr Fyfe stated that everyone wanted a theatre in the new-look Bognor but not at the cost of delaying the overall regeneration. He also questioned the ability of Arun Arts to pay for the expansion.

But Cllr Greg Burt said the committee's decision was flawed. 'The financial circumstances of the applicant are not a planning consideration,' he stated. It was also wrong to consider an application on what might happen in the future.

Cllr Jason Passingham stated: 'It's wrong to object because the money is not there. We don't say that with any other application.'

Cllr Paul Wells said: 'I don't think the committee's reasons will stack up when a decision is taken by the district council.

Cllr Rob Gillibrand added: 'Nobody wants to give away the theatre we have got until there is a definite plan on the table that says we are going to get a new one. It looks 50:50 to me.'

Arun's planners will consider the application for the extended Regis Centre in the next few months in line with the council's land use policies.