Planned Argos store rejected for Bognor because it will hit regeneration plan

The catalogue retailer had been lined up to become the first occupier of an outlet to be built at the Bognor Regis Retail Park.

But Arun District Council's planning officers decided to bar the firm from moving into the premises on Shripney Road.

They imposed a series of planning conditions with their approval of the property to make it impossible for it to be used by Argos.

Only certain goods can be sold from the site to protect the town centre and its redevelopment which could be three or four years away.

A company spokeswoman said the decision, made in private, meant it was no longer interested in the site.

"In light of the planning authority's decision, Argos will not be pursuing this application for a store at this location," she said.

The exclusion of Argos was criticised by Bognor Regis Civic Society deputy chairman Hugh Coster.

"If Arun is going to treat every retail application negatively because of its potential effect on the town-centre regeneration, which may or may not happen, then the town is going to remain in limbo for years.

"We have got to move forward," he warned. "St Modwen, the developer, might come back to us with detailed plans or it might not.

"But the town can't be in a state of paralysis for years to come because of that."

Arun's decision comes less than six months after Asda was refused planning permission to build a new 48,000sq ft store on Oldlands Farm off Shripney Road.

In the case of Argos, the company wanted to move into a new retail warehouse of 1,634sq m gross on the edge of the retail park. The building would replace the current range of motor businesses on the site. It would have faced north towards the KFC restaurant and the parking area. The number of spaces would increase by three to 346.

Zurich Assurance said in its application: "The building has been designed to be of good quality with a contemporary commercial appeal and will significantly enhance the appearance of the site compared to the existing retail buildings.

"Shripney Road is an established retail location, albeit out of centre, within Bognor with two retail parks and a supermarket."

But Arun's consultants '“ Edaw and DTZ '“ told planning officers they feared allowing Argos to occupy the building could fatally damage the Bognor town-centre regeneration proposals. "...the council is working up new town-centre developments in partnership with a developer," they state.

"These schemes are not yet irrevocably committed, but are at a critical stage of preparation where decentralisation of expenditure and retailer support to out-of-centre retailing could prove fatal to financial viability.

"And there is no reason why Argos could not operate from stores in the new town-centre developments, since Argos already operates the great majority (440 of 600) of its stores in town centres."

What do you think? Click here to send a letter or leave a comment below.

Click here to go back to Chichester news

Click here to go back to Bognor Regis news

Click here to go back to Midhurst and Petworth news

To tell us where in the world you are reading this story click on the link below to add yourself to our readers' map.

MAP