Bognor Regis town council objects to Premier Inn plans after residents speak out

The unanimous vote saw members speaking out for many of the same reasons they opposed the plans previously, with councillors claiming the large hotel would overwhelm the adjacent Regis Centre car park.

Councillor Steve Goodheart claimed the plans took a slope-shouldered approach to parking. “I want to emphasise the lack of imagination and creativity when it comes to the parking problem,” he said. “We’re all looking for this area to become a hive of activity; whether it’s the hotel, the renovated theatre, or whatever might take place at the old Brewers Fayre. We want to attract more people than the guests who turn up at the hotel. The majority of those guests will be coming here by car, and they will be expecting to park quite close to their destinations.”

"Hotels like this attract a lot of business people,” Cllr Claire Needs added. “Those kinds of people aren’t interested in spending time or money in the town. We’re supposed to be encouraging people into Bognor.”

Similar concerns were raised by a residents from nearby Berkley Court, which will neighbour the hotel once it is finished. Alongside concerns about parking, and the suitability of a Premier Inn hotel to a town like Bognor Regis, they say the new building will overlook their homes and could have a detrimental effect on the value of their properties – a complaint with which council members resonated.

"The fact that it’s just overlooking the building , looking into their bedrooms even, is, to me, ridiculous,” committee leader Jeanette Warr said.

The residents have also been active on the Arun District planning portal, where they have made their objections clear. “My living room is facing out onto Clarence Road and I am very concerned that the proposed plan is for a five storey building which will be in very close proximity to Berkley Court. This, in my view, will be very dominating and will seriously affect my access to daylight and, being overlooked, I will also have a loss of privacy (sic).

"Where are 116 hotel guests and staff going to park? The car park is already well used by shoppers, workers and theatre users, and is very often quite full at peak times.”

At a public consultation earlier this year, research led by Premier Inn owners Whitbread PLC suggested the Regis centre car park should have more than enough room for theatre users and guests alike.

Research suggested that hotel users will mostly user the carp park in the evenings and overnight, when demand from other users is at its lowest. What’s more, Whitbread market researchers have suggested that, even if all the rooms are booked, there should be enough space left over for town centre shoppers and theatre-goers alike.

To find out more about the plans, and to make your voice heard, visit the Arun District planning portal and search for BR/84/23/L.