'Significant issues' discovered in former Wilko building as Bognor Regis Road closed

In a statement issued earlier this week, county council officers said a full inspection of the building revealed significant external structural issues with the building, and a full section of Bedford Street has been closed in the interest of public safety.

The closure includes pavements running alongside the length of the building, but traffic signals have been placed at the south end of Bedford Street to allow access where possible. Issues with the building do not impact London Road or the adjoining buildings and Morrisons car park will stay open, but pedestrian access from the car park along the current footway is closed for the time being.

Officers cannot confidently say for how long the road will be closed, and recommend people plan their journeys accordingly.

In the meantime, measures have been taken to ensure the safety of residents and visitors: "To ensure public safety we are upgrading the temporary barriers to Herras fencing and are sourcing concrete barriers for extra protection,” a county council spokesperson said. “We are also engaging with the landowners with regards to entering the building for a more thorough investigation and to erect scaffolding to ensure the highway is safe for the public to use.”

West Sussex County Council officers have since confirmed that the owner of the building has arranged a full inspection of the building in order to determine the necessary works required before the road can be re-opened. “In the meantime, we urge residents not to move the barriers to access the road and footways as they are there for your own safety and to use the alternative routes available,” the spokesperson added.

The council’s announcement comes after plans to build six storeys of student accommodation above the building were approved last year. The plans would have seen 104 students living above the Wilko site, with part-conversion and associated servicing work set to take place as part of the plans.

The Bognor Regis Wilko branch is one of a number of stores which have closed, or are set to do so, after the business announced it was going into administration earlier this year.